AN: Well, another week another chapter. I was up until, like, an hour ago, considering putting my stories on hiatus, but I think I've decided against it for now. So I'd like to thank Um I lost my name, Jewel08, and silverheartlugia2000 for their reviews, your support really, truly keeps me going.
And now, chapter five. Enjoy!

5- True or False

Preparations were complete, the plan was underway. They were really doing this. They were really sneaking into the Royal Palace to break into its Royal Archives.

Link was so sure they were going to get caught. He could barely bring himself to lift his eyes from his boots as he trailed along after Ganondorf in his "borrowed" uniform, afraid that if he looked up and met someone's eye the whole thing would come tumbling down.

He tightened his grip on the stack of fabric in his arms, hunching his shoulders as he followed Ganondorf round a corner. There was a fair distance between them, but they'd all memorised the palace's building plans, the ones Aveil had tracked down, so none of them would be getting lost. Or at least, they shouldn't if they remembered the route correctly.

There were so many ways this could go wrong.

Luckily for them-well, Nabooru had said it was lucky-the castle was bustling that afternoon. With their "borrowed" uniforms they all blended into the masses well. They just had to act docile around passing lords and ladies, and look like they knew where they were going.

Which they did. Because they'd memorised the map.

Whenever Link managed to pluck up the courage to pull his gaze from the ground he had to remind himself not to stare. Hyrule Castle was always impressive, no matter the era, but this was the first time he'd been inside it without the pressure of the oncoming final battle. This was the first time he'd been inside while other people were. He could actually look around, admire the paintings and tapestries on the walls (the meanings of which were lost on him), make note of the distant smells of cooking, occasionally overridden by the smell of flowers which stood in pretty vases all over the place, revel in how alive it was. The air was full of the sound of footsteps, swishing fabric, voices. Human voices, not the growls or hisses of concealed monsters. Instead of swords and arrows he was dodging people, real people, as they rushed around laden with all kinds of things.

It was hard not to stare. He tried to distract himself by reminding himself that he had a job to do, and that while the castle was lavish and ornate there were people dying practically on its doorstep. All of this wealth, all of these people, could be put to so much better use.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on the injustices he'd so recently had his eyes opened to. Now he had to find the library and convince Ganondorf of his tale. Save Hyrule's future, so that it could be made better than… whatever it was now.

Adjusting his grip on the cloth in his arms Link took a deep breath of air that smelled faintly of bread, rounding another corner cautiously. There were so many corridors, so many twists and turns. He was so worried he was going to get lost, but a brief glance at the hallway ahead showed Ganondorf still wandering along ahead of him. Where once his dark skin or flaming hair might have drawn curious looks, now they went completely unnoticed by all those he passed, some of whom even shared similar traits.

The Gerudos' decline was turning out to be both frustrating, saddening, and helpful. All at the same time.

A couple of guards clanked by, prompting Link to duck his head as he slowed his pace just a little in the hopes he'd remain unnoticed. He did, as he had since entering the castle through the servants' quarters. There were plenty of pages scurrying about, so he hardly stood out, and one meek boy was hardly going to attract the attention of a guard.

That didn't exactly make him any less nervous, though.

Still, everything seemed to work out because after twenty of the most nerve-wracking minutes of Link's life he was stood outside the library, watching Ganondorf slip inside from across the corridor as he restacked his pile of fabric. Aveil was also loitering nearby; she and Nabooru had taken a different route, and now Nabooru was in the library, guarding the door from the inside.

Plucking at the fabric Link hovered a little longer, waiting for a lull in passers-by, and then he followed Ganondorf into the library.

The silence was almost deafening as the heavy wooden door thudded shut behind him, after all the hustle and bustle of the rest of the castle. He stood for a moment, letting his suddenly pounding heart settle, and then for a moment longer to take in his new surroundings.

The room he was stood in was big and lofty, gloomy despite the tall windows in the far wall, and filled with books wherever he looked. Not surprising, really, but he'd never seen so many books in one place. The place was full of them, wedged together tightly in rows and rows of tall, wide shelves. Through what few gaps there were Link could see even more shelves beyond those nearest to him, stretching on into the room's gloomy corners, and probably rooms beyond that.

Stepping forward tentatively he watched dust motes swirl in the grey beams of light that filtered through the windows, taking deep breaths of the musty air and then jumping when he saw movement from the corner of his eye.

It was just Nabooru, though. She was peeking round on of the high shelves at him, face settled into its usual displeased expression, the one she wore whenever she looked at him. As he watched she emerged a little more, folding her arms as she leant against the shelf.

'Get on with whatever you've got to do, then,' she hissed, voice loud despite its relative softness. It was so quiet. Wasn't there anybody else in there with them? 'Whatever ridiculous thing you're making Gan do, just do it. He's over there.' She gestured absently, and Link offered her a brief look of thanks before heading in the direction she'd pointed.

Ganondorf was indeed there, entranceway's right-hand side, wandering slowly through the stacks. When Link found him he watched in silence for a second as Ganondorf ran his fingers along a row of books then paused to glance into a small display case jammed between two sets of shelves.

Then Link cleared his throat, shrugging when Ganondorf spun to look at him. 'What now?'

'Well, now we try to find something to prove your story,' Ganondorf replied, glancing around. 'But where do we even start?'

Link had an idea. He didn't know how the library was set out, but he was willing to bet that the older the books got, the further into the shadows they were moved. They'd need to find the old and ancient records, the ones from ages long past.

Ganondorf complied readily when Link explained his plan, and together they ventured deeper into the library. As Link had predicted the place only got gloomier and gloomier as they moved away from the windows, the objects in the display cases gradually growing older and older which made him think they were on the right track. Every so often he'd find himself needing to tug Ganondorf on, because he kept stopping to look at things. Link didn't see him take anything, but he was pretty sure that counted for absolutely nothing.

They selected a pile of books as they went, both of them contributing; Link with things he thought looked familiar or useful, Ganondorf with whatever he wanted to use to make Link prove, or disprove, his stories. It was tempting to just stop to peruse the shelves out of simple curiosity, and Link had to remind himself of the task at hand multiple times. Still, he did actually manage to find a few things he thought would provide irrefutable proof, which made him think luck might finally be on his side for once. One find in particular sent a thrill of excitement through him; there was no way Ganondorf would be able to contest it.

Eventually they stopped at a little table crammed in a corner, nicely out of sight. It no longer felt like they were breaking into a castle, or like they'd be in serious trouble if they were found. The outside world felt miles away, as if they'd crossed into a different dimension or something. It was just the two of them, surrounded by the library's dusty gloom, walled in on all sides by creaky, sagging shelves.

Link actually felt kind of excited as Ganondorf set down their chosen books, with a thump that sent up a small cloud of dust from table and parchment alike.

Waving a hand through the haze Link perched himself gingerly on one of the chairs, cringing as it creaked under his weight, both at the loud sound and the threat of it giving out under him. It didn't, but both he and Ganondorf went rigid for maybe a minute, in the silence that followed listening for any sounds of approach. There were none, so eventually Ganondorf folded himself into the other chair with much less care than Link.

'Right, then,' he said, quietly, running his eyes over their selected books with a thoughtful frown. 'Time to test this tale of yours.' He eyed the books for a moment longer before lifting his frown onto Link. 'What's up with all these weird books?' Picking one up he turned it so its cover was facing Link. 'What is this, a storybook?'

It was. It was old, its pages yellowed and its binding faded and worn, but it was familiar. Link remembered reading one just like it in a previous life, curled up in a corner of a library not too dissimilar from the one he currently sat in, flicking through various legends of Hyrule's many saviours. He hadn't known in that lifetime that he and the Heroes in most of them were one and the same-the Hero of Time had simply been a legend, an inspiration, and how could he ever be tied to the hero from the sky who'd slain a terrible demon?-but he'd felt sympathy for the boy who had come so many years before him, and for the young man used and manipulated by Hylia. It had been hard enough saving Hyrule as an adult, he'd thought, and he hadn't been able to imagine what it would be like to do it as a child, or to fight for someone he'd been betrayed by.

'Hello? You in there?' Fingers snapped nearby and Link jumped, startled from his reminiscence. Ganondorf raised his eyebrows, glancing at the book he was still waving around. 'Why'd you pick this one? It just looks like some kids' book written in some kind of weird Hylian.'

Still feeling a little disorientated Link held out a hand, silently asking for the book. Ganondorf obliged, and Link put it down between them, gingerly lifting the worn cover with a finger. The pictures inside were faded but still pretty legible, with a few lines of an old variant of Hylian penned neatly under each.

'It's a book of legends,' Link explained softly, flipping through a few pages before returning to the beginning. 'Our- well, mine and Zelda's first incarnations, and then a few more of all of ours.'

And then, turning each page carefully, he told the ocarina-wielding Link's tale as well as Link of Skyloft's, not bothering to look at the text. The focus of his story was on the pictures, which though a little… interpretive, held enough similarities for his stories to hold up. He refrained from going off on tangents as he stripped the legends to their basic points, though it really was tempting. For brevity's sake he refrained.

Ganondorf seemed to get a shock from learning that the cloud of shadow that occasionally took on the form of a giant pig shared his name-something he couldn't deny because it was written underneath the picture itself-and then he got offended when Link told him it didn't just share his name but actually was him.

'Do I look like a giant pig-monster to you?' he demanded, just about managing to say it in an undertone. They were still in the library, after all, where they weren't supposed to be. 'Or that weird… scaly thing?'

Link tried not to laugh at Ganondorf's expression, absently tracing a finger across the page they'd stopped at. 'Demise was different,' he explained. 'You two aren't the same person like you and other Ganondorfs are, but… you're definitely tied together. And as for this-' he tapped the page, where pig-Ganon glared up at them, '-it's something you turn into. With magic. You… can do magic, right?'

'Sure, but nothing like that.' Ganondorf jabbed a finger at the book. 'It's mostly just parlour tricks- y'know, invisibility of a sort, flashy lights and big sounds. Things that help us get away.'

'Good to know,' Link mumbled after a moment before directing Ganondorf's attention back to the task at hand. It really was good to know this Ganondorf couldn't turn into that colossal boar-creature, or any variant of it. Hopefully it would stay that way.

'So you know the stories.' Ganondorf's tone bordered on flippant as Link closed the book, tale told, as was his shrug. 'And you idolise these Heroes. Names are just names, kid, and stories are just stories. This is a picture book, for kids.'

Instead of arguing like he wanted to-really wanted to-Link just folded his arms and sat back. 'Fine. Your turn.'

To which Ganondorf replied with a wide grin as he selected the fattest, heaviest book from the pile, sliding it towards Link who looked at it with no little trepidation. He squinted at the cracked black leather it was bound in for a moment, before shifting his gaze up onto Ganondorf in silent question.

'Look, I've seen my fair share of old texts and whatnot,' Ganondorf said with a slightly dismissive wave of his hand. 'And I might not be able to read it but I know Ancient Hylian when I see it.'

'So?' Link prompted when Ganondorf paused, dropping his eyes back onto the book.

'So,' Ganondorf repeated, 'if you really do remember our lives from centuries ago, or whatever, then I want you to translate some of this.' Reaching out he tapped a finger to the book's cover.

Link huffed, but it was more for dramatic effect than anything. This would be simple, a piece of cake.

Or not, as he discovered upon opening the book. It wasn't the most ancient of Ancient Hylian languages, more akin to the language of the ocarina or Majora debacles, and he did recognise it, but translating it proved more difficult than he'd expected.

Apparently just remembering it wasn't enough. The words got all jumbled whenever he tried to string them together and the symbols, while familiar, seemed to blur and jump around when he looked at them. It was like his past lives were all fighting for dominance, and sure enough after a few minutes of staring at the pages his memories started getting all mixed up too.

When his head started hurting he decided he needed to take a break, leaning away from the table as he rested his forehead in his hands.

'You all right, kid?'

He had to clamp down on an unexpected fear response when he remembered Ganondorf was sat across from him. With everything mixed up as it was Link had to force himself to stay calm. This Ganondorf was not the enemy. This era-which era?-was not under attack. It was not in danger. The Gerudo-technically not a Gerudo this time-was not a threat.

In the end Link didn't reply, just slumping a little further as he sorted through his memories, putting them all back in their proper places. He had no idea how long it took, but he was surprised and grateful when Ganondorf stayed quiet. Once he felt a little less confused he turned back to the book with renewed determination.

He could do this. He would do this.

Things were a little easier after that. Of all the books Ganondorf could have chosen he'd picked a horribly boring one; it was all about the "proper" building and management of a household. Why anyone would write about that, about which rooms should be built where to let what sunlight in at which times, or how to manage staff, or all sorts of other ridiculous things, Link had no idea.

But he persevered, reciting a few passages to Ganondorf who looked as unimpressed as Link felt.

'You're kidding, right?' was all he said, eyebrows raised and nose wrinkled in distaste.

And then he had the gall to go off about how Link was probably just making it all up. Why he'd ever make up something as boring as the book in his hands he didn't know. He also didn't think he'd be able to make it up if he tried, but Ganondorf shut down all of his protests and arguments mercilessly.

Link was, to put it lightly, very annoyed. Ganondorf didn't even seem to be listening anymore, so focused on disproving everything Link said as he was.

So Link resorted to his trump card. He'd found it tucked away on one of the shelves, completely innocuous and inconspicuous, its contents anything but. He wasn't even sure how he'd found it-maybe luck, or a helping hand from some greater power-but he had and that was all that mattered.

It was a journal, written by an unknown witness to the Hero of Time's trials, its pages yellowed and brittle, its bindings falling apart, its cover stained. There was a slight tingle of magic to it, which explained how it hadn't completely disintegrated yet. How it even existed in the first place Link wasn't sure, because they'd rewritten that particular period of time, but it was there. He wondered maybe if he'd written it and forgotten, or maybe it was Zelda's. Maybe it had even been one of the sages.

Well, whoever it belonged to, it was a great find.

Ganondorf didn't share the sentiment. He seemed adverse to even looking at it when Link explained what it was; when Link shoved a faded sketch of that era's Ganondorf (the similarities were painfully obvious) in his face he stared at it with blank eyes, stifling a gesture that implied he'd been tempted to bat it away.

'Why are you being so difficult?!' Link finally demanded, frustrated beyond belief. He wanted to throw the heavy, boring book at Ganondorf's face, but instead settled for flicking through the journal for more pictures. There was one of a burnt Kakariko Village, and even a sketch of the ocarina itself. 'I've done more than enough to prove I'm not lying, haven't I? Why won't you believe me?'

There was no reply, and Link glanced up at Ganondorf who was sitting stiffly in his chair, a definitely forced look of disinterest on his face. He was drumming his fingers against the table; from the agitated sound Link half expected him to start pacing again.

'You… you do believe me, don't you?' A grin spread across Link's face. 'That's why you're being so annoying!'

'What would you know?' Ganondorf snapped, then seemed to catch himself. 'You don't know a thing about me.'

'I know plenty, thanks,' Link scoffed, only to cringe back when Ganondorf slammed his hand down on the table.

'No, you don't!' Apparently he'd forgotten they were supposed to be being sneaky, if the way his voice was rising meant anything. 'You know about these- these Kings, these monsters who tried to destroy Hyrule. Well I have news for you, kid, they're not me, and I'm not them! I'm my own person, so how about you take that journal and shove it up-'

The sound of a door opening cut him off. Or rather, he heard the door opening and immediately snapped his mouth shut in response.

'Did you hear that?' Ganondorf asked after a pause, anger forgotten for the moment. Link nodded mutely, twisting in his seat to look in the direction of the library's main door. It had definitely just been opened.

'Maybe they won't find us?' Link suggested weakly after a tense minute of listening; the sound of a heavy door opening and shutting carried, but footsteps didn't.

'I'm not willing to risk it,' Ganondorf replied as he slipped to his feet, eyeing the table for a moment. 'Leave those, let's go.'

'What if someone finds them?' Link wasn't trying to be difficult, but he felt the question needed asking.

Ganondorf just shrugged. 'They'll probably just think someone who's actually allowed to be in here left them and forgot. Now let's move.'

Not needing to be told twice Link did so, though he felt a definite pang of loss as he left the journal behind. He might have been inclined to take it, it he hadn't expected the first touch of outside air to make it fall to pieces. Maybe he'd be able to find it again, if he ever came back.

He followed Ganondorf through the stacks in silence, ears pricked for any sounds of approaching feet. Stealth may not have been his strong suit, but he knew how to keep his steps quiet well enough on polished wood floors. It was different to the forest, where every stray branch or bush was conspiring against him, and one wrong move would send wildlife fleeing noisily.

Ganondorf was on a whole nother level, though. If Link hadn't been actively following him he'd never know the guy was there. When he moved he did so in complete silence. Even his clothes didn't seem to rustle.

By comparison Link felt like he was making enough noise for the both of them. His heart was loud in his ears, and his breaths, though he was fighting to keep them calm and steady, felt every bit as loud as a twig snapping under his carefully placed feet.

At length he wondered if maybe no one had actually come into the library, but almost as soon as he thought it Ganondorf suddenly stopped, backing up sharply. Link scrambled to do the same before they could collide, pressing himself against the nearest stack. The narrow walkway between it and the next suddenly felt almost claustrophobic, like they were going to topple inwards and crush them at any moment.

A glance at Ganondorf showed the thief to look fairly calm, though his brow was furrowed and his hands were fisted at his sides. When he caught Link's eye he tapped a finger to his lips, to which Link nodded, nerves twisting in his stomach all over again. He could feel himself trembling in fearful anticipation, half wishing there was a gap in the books he leant against for him to peer through.

It turned out he didn't need to, though, because a moment later he picked up on the soft sound of humming that told him everything he needed to know. It was a familiar tune and Link's stomach dropped further as he realised who it was.

Zelda.

Beside him Ganondorf peeked out from around the stacks, drawing back with a softly muttered curse. The humming stopped.

'Is someone there?' a young voice called after a second, and now Link could hear the soft slap of her shoes as she drew nearer. Another glance at Ganondorf showed he was no longer frowning, but his jaw was set in a way that almost seemed worse.

And then he stepped out from behind the shelves.

Link started, eyes going wide with shock and horror. Not sure what to do, or what exactly Ganondorf thought he was doing, he went rigid, frozen in place.

'Oh, hello. Who might you be?' Zelda's young voice was bright, as innocent and carefree as Link had ever heard it. He was tempted to peek out at her, to see a Zelda unburdened by fate, but as it was he still couldn't bring himself to move.

Not until Ganondorf did. He reached out a hand, not saying a word, and Link felt a brief flicker of magic brush against his skin, a soft golden light briefly flashing across the nearest stacks.

And then Link moved, jumping forward with a protest halfway to his lips just in time to watch Ganondorf catch a now apparently unconscious Zelda before she tumbled to the floor. The book she'd been holding wasn't as lucky; it hit the ground with a heavy thump, bouncing slightly before settling.

'What did you do?!' Link demanded, wincing a little when his voice came out shrill in his horror. Had Ganondorf just attacked the Princess of Hyrule?!

'Relax, I didn't hurt her,' Ganondorf replied around an exasperated sigh as he slung Zelda over one of his shoulders with more care than Link could honestly say he'd expected. 'It's just a little sleeping spell. I'll put her down at one of the tables and she'll just think she fell asleep reading.'

'But she saw you, didn't she?' Chewing on his lip Link frowned at Zelda, her limp arms where they dangled down along Ganondorf's back.

'She'll think she dreamt me up.' Shrugging his free shoulder Ganondorf started walking away, effectively ending all conversation. Annoyed and anxious Link had no choice but to follow, hoping he was exuding silent disapproval as he watched Ganondorf set Zelda down at the first table he found (a small, round one sat in a patch of dusty sunlight), arranging her limbs like she was some kind of doll.

'Stop pouting,' Ganondorf eventually sighed as he opened Zelda's fallen book to a random page and cushioned her head with it. 'Would you rather we'd been caught?'

Unable to come up with an answer Link huffed, then huffed again when Ganondorf snickered softly.

'And just what do you two think you're doing, exactly?' the sudden hiss startled them both; when Link spun to look Nabooru was stood behind them, arm folded, face a mask of disdain. She didn't need to say another word to let them know she wasn't at all happy about this turn of events.

Under her burning yellow gaze they all but fled the library, though not before Link doubled-checked Zelda really was all right. As Ganondorf had said she was just sleeping, so feeling marginally reassured Link let himself be chivvied along by an irate Nabooru. They paused beside the heavy doors only to wait for Aveil's signals from the other side, where she was still stood guard. How Zelda had got past them both without either one of them warning Link or Ganondorf was a mystery, one Link would have to wait to solve. Right now they needed to escape.

'We'll rendezvous at the agreed place, all right?' Nabooru whispered, voice still sharp and annoyed. 'Assuming you even remember where it is.' Her eyes flickered onto Link who refrained from sticking his tongue out, but did scowl up at her in reply. She just narrowed her eyes briefly with a slight smirk, then slipped out through the door at Aveil's quiet 'all clear' knock.

Ganondorf went next, a few minutes later, and then Link. With Aveil in tow he set out, hopefully leaving the castle behind for good. He couldn't wait to be gone, and he also wanted to talk to Ganondorf without having to whisper or be on the lookout for approaching trouble.

Because Ganondorf did believe him, Link was sure of it, and that meant they needed to decide what they were going to do this time around. They needed to work out how they were going to change things, how they were going to fight fate and do things better this time.

Link might have been both excited and absolutely terrified, but he was also resolved. Things were different this time, and he'd be damned if he didn't try to make something of it. He was going to change his fate, no matter the cost.

And, given Ganondorf's earlier outburst, Link was pretty sure he'd have an ally this time around.