So, it would seem we're back. Thanks for your patience, enjoy.

7- Awakening

A year passed, and despite Link and Ganondorf's efforts to save it Hyrule seemed to only grow steadily worse. Taxes rose, guards grew bolder and crueller, the gap between the rich and the poor gradually widened.

Link didn't know what to make of it. He had no idea how to deal with it. All of his previous lives had been spent out in the fields or forests of Hyrule until Ganondorf had shown up; he had never lived in a city before Ganondorf arrived. Had Hyrule always been in this kind of state? Had he just never seen it before?

He didn't know. He couldn't know.

But for all the things he didn't know, one thing he did was that he had to help, somehow. So maybe he wouldn't be some great, evil-slaying Hero this time around, but that didn't mean he wouldn't help where he could.

Stealing from the aristocracy to help the poorer residents of the city seemed like a good place to start. Once he got over his aversion to stealing, and once he realised quite how bad the state of the city was, he was more than happy to help. Of course he got more things wrong than right, at first, but he learned. And, upholding his oath, he never got caught.

The first few times he went out by himself he ended up having to hightail it to safety, often with a few angry guards of his tail, but he was small, slight, and not weighed down by armour. The guards never stood a chance. It was exhilarating, in a completely different way to fighting monsters. It was fun.

But if the stealing was fun, getting to know his now fellow thieves was even better.

Nabooru was Nabooru, brusque and sharp and hard-headed, but beguiling when she wanted to be, fiercely protective once you got to know her, and always up for pranking people. Long red hair and fierce gold eyes, she was just like Link remembered, only younger. Aveil, with her short hair and dark brown skin, was like Nabooru's little sister; as far as Link could tell they considered themselves as much. They were almost unnervingly similar sometimes, but Aveil was a little quieter, and not so hot-headed. Getting on her bad side was still a terrible idea though.

The others were all new to Link. Kian was loud and boisterous, hiding everything behind a wide, unwavering smile. He told terrible jokes and flirted with everyone, from the old ladies he helped with chores occasionally to stone-faced guards, usually when they were on duty. He had sharp tawny eyes and coppery red hair, when he let it grow.

Maram, the fairest and shortest of the group (aside from Link on both fronts), had bright orange hair she wore short and brighter yellow eyes, and a tongue so sharp she could cut anyone down to size with just a handful of words. She was a little mistrustful, plus the most reserved and careful of the group, something that Link knew caused her no small amount of grief. She was constantly battling to stop the others from running off and getting themselves killed or, perhaps worse, caught. Honestly Link wouldn't have blamed her if she just let them some time, as punishment.

Brown-eyed Dana and more-blonde-than-red-haired Simin were courting, which was a whole new world Link had yet to understand. At all. The others had tried to introduce him to it, explain it to him, but he couldn't say he was interested in the slightest. Of course, he had memories of such things, but as it was he just couldn't wrap his head around it.

But even so Dana and Simin seemed happy, so he was happy for them. Simin was basically the mother of the group, soft-spoken and calm in all situations, but with a reckless streak that got her in trouble with Maram on a regular basis. Dana, meanwhile, was unflinchingly cheerful in all things, and could never seem to keep quiet for long periods of time, something that presented a bit of an issue when it came to thievery, but she made do.

Link had never had a group of friends before, aside from maybe the Kokiri. It was almost like having a family, with all the squabbling and rowing and love that came with such a thing. Who would have thought he'd find such things through Ganondorf?

But, happy as he was, Hyrule was still crumbling around them. Things seemed to grow worse by the day, and they were all cracking under the strain. They had to help, they had to, but it wasn't easy. With each passing week the punishments for stealing grew, even as Link and the others found themselves trying to help more and more people. It was a vicious cycle; the more they stole the higher the risk got, but then if they stopped people, innocent people, would suffer even more than they already did.

And they simply couldn't allow that to happen. Link had never thought he'd find himself trying to save Hyrule from itself, with Ganondorf of all people at his side. He lay awake thinking about it some nights, especially those plagued by nightmares of times long gone. It made him wonder if maybe he'd misjudged the Ganondorfs of ages past, and it frustrated him that he would never know. His former selves had all just been so compliant, so ready to do whatever was asked of them. They had never questioned anything; perfect little soldiers.

The beginning of the end began on one such night. Link found himself being shaken lightly awake from a restless doze filled with memories of fights long since won, and as he blinked the haze from his eyes to find a large figure looming over him, yellow eyes catching the light of the single candle they'd lit, he was overtaken by sudden, all-consuming fear. With a shriek he lashed out, hearing a hiss of pain as one of his fists connected before he scrambled back, finding himself getting tangled in his blankets as he did.

He flailed, thinking only of escape because Ganondorf was there, right there, and he'd absolutely be killed if he couldn't get away. How had he been found? Ganondorf didn't usually actively seek him out so why, why, was he here?!

'Link-!'

'Link, calm down!' Voices rose all around him, and for a moment he didn't recognise a single one. He was surrounded by shadows, theirs eyes all shining yellow in the candlelight. There was no escape, he was going to be killed. How had he ended up here, surrounded by people who all wanted to kill him?

Hands grasped his shoulders, forcing him to still, and panting he found himself looking at Simin, her brow creased with concern.

Oh. That was right. He wasn't in danger. These were his friends, this wasn't a Hyrule where he and Ganondorf were enemies, and it definitely wasn't the Gerudo Fortress of old. It was their creaky 'borrowed' house in the city. Ganondorf was Ganon or, more rarely, just Gan.

'Are you all right?' Simin asked, fingers squeezing Link's shoulders lightly as she peered at him through the gloom.

Sucking in a deep breath he swallowed, nodding a little shakily. 'Just- bad dream.'

Simin's face fell into a frown as she sat back, relinquishing her grip on his shoulders. 'You have a lot of those,' she said after a moment.

Link just shrugged in answer. He was used to it, but he wasn't sure what he, or the others, could do about it. To that day, Ganondorf was still the only one who knew of the things he remembered, of their shared destiny. At least, as far as he was aware. If Ganondorf had told anyone then they hadn't mentioned it to Link, who was honestly quite happy for it to stay that way.

All those memories of lifetimes past had never felt as distant as they did now that he was living in the city, surrounded by friends, by people who would normally be his enemies. Things were different this time; the past had no hold on him. They didn't need to know, and he didn't need to think about it.

Well, not during waking hours, anyway.

'Sorry I yelled,' Link said as all the concerned eyes on him started to get uncomfortable. He let his own gaze drift past Simin onto Ganondorf, who was stood a little way behind her, also frowning. There was understanding in his expression, though, even if it was mildly bewildered and a little hurt.

Link immediately felt bad, offering his friend an apologetic grimace. He hadn't meant to react like that, but even if his past lives were distant these days they still weren't so easily forgotten, however much he would have liked that.

'You don't need to apologise.' Ganondorf stepped a little closer, folding his arms as a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. 'If we weren't awake before we definitely are now.'

'For sure,' Kian groaned around a wide yawn, rubbing a hand across his face.

'Why are we all awake?' Link asked as he glanced around at the others, all of whom were in various states of awakeness where they sat or stood dotted around his little attic room. Their latest hideout was a pretty spacious house in the city's southern district, supposedly haunted and very much avoided by city residents. There had in fact been a couple of Poes loitering around when they'd first got there, but they'd been quickly dispatched of. After that Link had claimed the small attic space as his own, though during the day it always seemed to end up being the place they all hung out.

Why they were all congregated there now Link wasn't sure. There was definitely a reason, but now that the fear was ebbing away his thoughts felt slow, sluggish. His muddled memory was even more so. So he glanced between them expectantly, awaiting answers.

'Did you forget already?' Nabooru sounded like she was rolling her eyes from where she stood leaning in the doorway, but her face was all shrouded in shadow so Link couldn't tell for sure. 'We've got work to do.'

Scrunching up his face Link tried to jog his memory, things coming back in bits and pieces as he thought.

'Oh. Right.' All at once he remembered, his stomach twisting a little as he did.

That was right, they had a new target. A Lord, or one of the King's confidantes or something, whose manor they'd been eyeing up for weeks, maybe even months. He'd been away for all that time, but rumour had it he'd be returning within a week, meaning their window of opportunity had abruptly and rapidly shrunk. It was a lot easier to rob a house no one was sleeping in, after all.

So everything had been pushed forward. It wasn't like they'd had to hastily think up a plan or anything-that was just ridiculous, and a sure-fire way to get caught-but they usually had more time to prepare. Or at least more time to psyche themselves up.

As it stood though, tonight was the night. Link still had his misgivings, a kind of pit in his stomach he couldn't quite shake, but he wasn't about to bail. No way.

And anyway, nervous as he was, he couldn't say he wasn't pretty excited too. Like he always was when it came down to it. He chose to do this, these were thrills he sought out. This was danger he willingly threw himself into, instead of being thrown in by someone else. There was a pretty big difference. It was fun because it wasn't, in the end, an obligation, or a burden. Trawling temples and battling monsters because he had to, because Hyrule needed saving, was just exhausting and terrifying. They had their moments, sure, but those were few and far between.

Being with Ganondorf and the others, though, was something else entirely. Maybe it was an obligation, to friends and their expectations, and maybe they were trying to save Hyrule, in a way, but this was something he had chosen for himself.

Having friends to watch his back was a pretty big bonus, as well. He didn't have to always be looking over his shoulder, always wondering what would happen if he got injured or died. If he did, well, then the others would carry on, wouldn't they?

'You're still half-asleep, aren't you?' Kian's voice was lightly mocking, but no sooner than he'd said the words he himself yawned, widely. The others all snickered; clearly Link wasn't the only one not quite awake yet.

'I'm up,' Link said, standing to prove his point. 'Just give me a minute to get dressed.'

Now that he said it he realised the others were all already ready, dressed and geared up, raring to go. He considered asking why they hadn't woken him up earlier, then decided against it. They didn't have time to waste on questions that, in the end, weren't so important.

All the same, as the others all filed out of the attic Ganondorf lingered, glancing back with a frown as he stopped in the doorway. Link returned his gaze in silence, not sure what kind of expression he should be wearing. It was dark enough that it might not even matter, so he settled on something bland and a little empty.

'You sure you're all right?' Ganondorf asked after a moment, not so unpredictably.

'Yeah.' Nodding for emphasis Link set about finding some clothes, not wanting to stand around awkwardly as Ganondorf said whatever it was he wanted to say. 'Sorry again for, y'know, yelling. And hitting you, I guess.'

'It's fine. I just never thought my beautiful face could be nightmare fuel.' That made Link pause, snorting as he glanced round at Ganondorf. After a moment they both snickered softly, though the silence returned just as quickly.

'Was it… evil me?' Ganondorf eventually continued, sounding a little uncomfortable. 'I figure it must be, for you to start yelling like that.' Another pause, then a sigh. 'You know, sometimes I still think you were kidding about all that. It's just so… unbelievable, y'know? But then stuff like this happens and, wow, I must've been pretty awful.'

'It wasn't you.' Turning Link fixed him with a stern look. 'I mean, not you, you. We've changed it, we've stopped it.' He grinned at Ganondorf though the shadows. 'Haven't we?'

Ganondorf paused, just briefly, before he heaved a sigh and grinned back. 'Yeah. I know I have no plans of ruling, or destroying, Hyrule. Ever. But I've got to say, you've got pretty devious this last year – who knows, maybe it's your turn?'

The thought made Link laugh. 'Shut up,' he said, for good measure wadding up a shirt and lobbing it at Ganondorf's head. But it was easily dodged and its target, laughing and apparently reassured, vanished down the stairs.

Sighing with a slight shake of his head Link hurried to get ready, pulling on some of his 'thief clothes', as he called them; dark, nondescript, clothes that would help him blend into the shadows. For good measure he tugged on his cloak, leaving the hood down. For now. He wasn't the only one in their little group who hid his face, though it was the source of many ongoing, light-hearted arguments. To him, plus Dana and Aveil who also did it, it was sensible. To the others it was unnecessary, even if there were several variations of Ganondorf and Nabooru's faces pinned to walls around the city. Most of them were horribly inaccurate, but the fact that they even existed in the first place was fairly telling, in Link's opinion.

But what could you do? They were stubborn like that.

Giving his hair a cursory brush with his fingers Link gathered up his lantern, his little pouch of tools, and his dagger; he'd downgraded from his sword not long after joining the group, at their insistence. He would admit it was handy in a pinch due to its size, and definitely less unwieldy or conspicuous, but he missed the comforting weight of a sword slung between his shoulders. Its absence always made him feel kind of naked. Exposed.

The others were all waiting for him when he bounded down the stairs, now wide awake at the prospect of a heist. The usual mix of excitement and nerves was squirming in his stomach, but he smiled around it as he joined the others.

'Ready to go?' Simin asked, to which he nodded. Nabooru made them all check their gear over one final time before she let them leave, and then they were off, slipping out into the warm summer night. The short nights gave them a much smaller timeframe, but they made do. At least the nights this time of year weren't cold, or rainy. That was the trade off, Link supposed.

It didn't take them long to reach their intended destination-their target's manor-which was to be expected, because they'd all memorised the route weeks back. And all other possible routes, as well, of course. Once they were there, ears and eyes pricked for any passers-by or their prying eyes, they split into two groups; Ganondorf, Kian, Simin, and Dana would do the actual stealing, while Link, Naboru, Maram, and Aveil stood guard. It was a big, expensive house, tall and wide with proper glass windows and all the unnecessary embellishments befitting of a Lord, hence why all eight of them were involved.

Link usually found it boring, being on watch, but every so often guards would pass by or someone would start asking questions. That's when things got interesting. He was never sure if he hoped more for things to go smoothly or for things to get messed up, if he was being honest. Both scenarios had their pros and cons.

He was weighing them up as he wandered a few streets away from the Lord's manor-he couldn't for the life of him remember the guy's name-on the lookout for guards or anything of the sort. They were really the only people who'd be around at this hour, and indeed as he watched a couple wandered by, spears resting on their shoulders as they patrolled, talking to one another. They didn't so much as glance at Link as he walked past, too engrossed in their conversation.

Things continued in a similar fashion for a good hour longer, until all at once Link found himself ducking into a side alley as he snuffed out his lantern to avoid a whole platoon of soldiers. Not guards, soldiers. Armed to the teeth with the customary spears and swords, lanterns glowing at regular intervals along their lines.

And at their head, with a richly dressed man at her side… Captain Impa.

'Oh, no.' Pressing himself flat against the rough wall Link kept his eyes trained on the alley opening, not even daring to breathe as the Captain marched past, followed by her miniature army. As she was in almost every lifetime, Impa was Captain of the Royal Guard and the princess's caretaker, and this time around she also just happened to be probably the biggest threat to Link and his friends in all of Hyrule. Link was pretty sure they spent half their time just hiding from her, because she was ruthless and relentless and brilliant. It was like she could just… sense crime, because she or one of her lackeys always seemed to be there, watching. She was ridiculously good at her job.

Link had nearly got himself caught the first time he'd had a run-in with her, as shocked as he'd been to see her there. Which, in hindsight, he really shouldn't have been surprised by because she was always there. As per usual she'd been a little different than he remembered, and his legs had completely locked up, leaving him standing like a lemon in the street. He'd been so used to having her as an ally that he'd completely forgotten he was supposed to be running away from her. Ganondorf'd had to drag him for a whole two minutes before he'd remembered how to use his legs.

It was weird, having her see him as an adversary instead of an ally. It kind of reminded him of the first time they'd met, when she'd hated him. Or at least, he'd always felt like she hated him. He'd definitely disliked her. Even so many lifetimes later, her sharp words of admonishment the first time they'd met still stung.

It took Link a few seconds to remember how to breathe once Impa passed by, and once he did he forced himself to trail after the platoon, sticking to side alleys and the deepest shadows as he tried to work out where they were headed. It was obviously important if Impa was there in person, and with a veritable army at her heels.

In which case, it probably shouldn't have been a surprise when Link realised where their route would take them, or when he finally recognised the richly dressed man struggling to keep up with Impa's brisk pace.

The name still eluded him, but Link definitely recognised the man's face. The Lord whose house Ganondorf and the others were currently still inside. Which meant somehow Impa was onto them. How she knew Link had no idea, but then she always seemed to know, one way or the other.

At which point he darted into the nearest alleyway and, lifting his hands to his mouth, sent up the warning cry. One long, shrill whistle, one they all knew meant danger, and also scatter.

The response was almost immediate. Impa's voice cut through the night, sharp and authoritative.

'You, find where that came from, catch them immediately. You, spread out, there will be more of them around. You, with me.'

Of course, Link was already running, sprinting away in the opposite direction. Letting his fingers brush against the nearest wall he plunged into the shadows, following one of the many paths he'd memorised. He hadn't stopped to see, or listen to, what Impa would do. Her sharp voice just happened to carry after him, like she was chasing him herself.

He knew what he needed to do, and that was get out of there. Their group would scatter, regroup in a few days. Hopefully no one would get caught. Behind him rose cries of 'stop!' and 'thief!', while even further beyond that came the echoes of his warning, rising into the night like screams. Sharp whistles, unmissable, from all different directions. Hopefully it would be enough to thin the herd, confuse the soldiers. Link wouldn't get his hopes up, though. This was Impa they were talking about.

As it turned out, he was right not to get his hopes up, because just a few corners later he found himself skidding to a halt, his path blocked by another soldier. The one following him slowed as well, both of them levelling their spears at his chest. Twisting so that he could see them both he tugged up his hood; if he got out of this bind he really didn't need his face joining Nabooru and Ganondorf's on the walls of Hyrule.

'If' being the operative word.

'No funny business,' one of the soldiers growled, voice a little muffled by their visor. 'Come with us nice and easy and maybe you'll see the sunrise.'

Link glanced between them, really wishing he had his sword right then. Their lanterns threw strange shadows over their armour, giving them a somewhat unsettling appearance that did nothing to dampen his flight reflex. But their spears were outstretched, blocking any chance of escape by simply charging either of them. Link supposed he could throw his dagger, hopefully incapacitate one of them and make a break for it. That was an option. There was really no other way to escape the narrow street they stood on, so taking out one of the soldiers appeared to be the only way out.

Throwing caution to the wind Link pulled his dagger free and let it fly, jumping forward even before he confirmed it had hit. If nothing else, he had faith in his aim. There was the clang of something hitting armour, a yelp, and then hands had caught one of his wrists, yanking him back sharply. Apparently the other guard had been closer than he'd thought, and a lot faster than he'd anticipated.

He twisted, yanking viciously at his arm, but the soldier clung tight and all Link could do was watch as the other one regained their footing, shaking their head briefly before one again levelling the spear they'd previously been flailing at his chest.

'Awfully small, this one,' the soldier who had Link's wrist in a death grip said as they twisted said wrist up and back, taking Link's arm with it. He winced and struggled, but it was no use. He wanted to elbow the guard, preferably in the face, but he knew that would only cause him pain. Armour wasn't something you whacked with elbows. Plus, fighting back might even get his arm broken.

So, as the other soldier moved closer, he stopped struggling. Better to play it safe and wait for an opening than get himself tied up or knocked out or something.

The soldier in front of him leaned closer, lifting their lantern as if trying to see under his hood. Link cringed away from the bright light, keeping his head down.

'What are you, ten?' The soldier tutted. 'This city's really going downhill, I swear. Half the criminals we deal with these days are kids.'

'Tell me about it,' the other one agreed, and Link rolled his eyes. He got the impression they were underestimating him, but honestly he didn't mind it. Why would he? It meant he could catch them off guard.

But not yet. For now he'd bide his time.

Although, as he found himself being half led, half dragged through the quiet streets, he had to wonder if that wasn't a mistake. He could tell where they were headed, and he knew who'd be waiting for him when they got there. All he could do was hope none of the others hadn't been caught. He'd broken one of the core tenets of their group but he'd be sure to uphold the others. It didn't matter what Impa or her lackeys did to him, he wouldn't say a word.

As it turned out, though, that resolve was unnecessary. With a sensation like he'd been punched in the gut Link rounded the corner that led to the Lord's house and saw not one, not two, but all of the others. They were all there, surrounded by soldiers, all mere inches away from being skewered. His three fellow lookouts were all at some stage of being restrained, while the four who'd gone into the manor were lined up in front of it, side by side with a forest of spears pointed at them. They all turned to look at him as he approached and he saw similar feelings to his own flash across all of their faces. Horror, disappointment, fear.

Link couldn't believe his eyes. They'd never had anything go as wrong as this before. Never.

How had this happened? How had Impa done it?

Reeling a little Link turned his gaze onto the Captain in question, finding her stood at the heart of the mess, arms folded and a stern, somewhat satisfied look on her face. As if sensing his gaze her bright red eyes flicked onto him and she tilted her head, scrutinising him. He glared back, not sure if she could even see his face under the hood.

For a moment there was quiet as Impa surveyed her catch, then with a nod she gestured to her soldiers. 'All right, with me. We're taking this lot back to the castle for judgement.'

The response was immediate, and Link found himself being forced forward, closer to the Captain, as all the soldiers closed ranks, forming a barrier of metal and muscle around the four lookouts. A glance towards the house revealed Ganondorf and the others were being corralled as well, soldiers barking orders as Kian spat insults and the others glared with all their might.

Link didn't know what to think. He felt kind of… numb. He couldn't quite believe this was happening. It was like a dream, or more accurately a nightmare. They'd been caught. All of them. How?

How?

Obviously Impa had set some kind of trap-maybe the rumours that had spurred them into motion had been of her making-and they all knew her traps were nigh inescapable. Her reputation just wasn't for show, after all.

But still, for all of them to have been caught? For them to have not even thought of anticipating something like this? It was ridiculous, almost laughable, though Link was pretty sure the urge start giggling was just the panic. It was creeping in now, because they'd all been caught and he'd never been on the end of Hyrule's judicial system and he had no idea what to expect. The not knowing was the worst.

How had things gone so horribly, terribly wrong?

He was wondering it for the fiftieth time when things got even worse. Ahead of him a sudden scuffle broke out, soldiers' voices rising as Nabooru started yelling.

'Get off me!' she yelled, and between the gaps in the armour around him Link saw her struggling, breaking free of the restraining hands on her arms. Everyone else seemed to pause, and Link was pretty sure he heard Impa sigh, and then, just when it looked like Nabooru's efforts would be useless, Aveil suddenly appeared beside her, having somehow nabbed one of the soldiers' spears. She swung it wildly, sending soldiers skittering back in every direction, and then the others were yelling, voices mingling with the soldiers', and everything started descending into chaos. Ganondorf and Kian, trying to move closer without being skewered- Dana and Simin trying to run and being forced to the floor- Maram lashing out at nearby soldiers- Nabooru slamming a soldier to the cobbles, Aveil at her side-

If they could just cause enough mayhem then maybe, maybe-

Hands tightened viciously on Link's arm and he flinched, craning his head round to level a glare at the soldier behind him.

'Oh no you don't,' they said, sounding so smug it was infuriating. Link replied with a savage stamp on their unprotected instep. It made him feel better, as the soldier hissed in pain, overbalancing slightly, at least until he found himself being shoved to the ground. Hard. His chin smacked against the cobbles and he nearly bit his tongue as his teeth clacked together, though he was distracted from the pain by the sight of Nabooru and Aveil being given similar treatment through the forest of legs ahead of him. Maram was being restrained by three soldiers, hair and eyes wild.

'Get your hands off them!' It was Ganondorf, backed up against the wall of the manor, his yellow eyes seeming to almost glow in the gloom. Link couldn't tell if it was from the light from the lanterns or from some other, internal source. Either way it was eerie. Link could see the soldiers nearest him hesitating, though aside from that nobody paid him the slightest attention. The others were causing too many distractions. Nabooru was hissing threats, Aveil was having the spear wrestled from her, and as Link watched one of the soldiers planted a solid kick in Maram's ribs. She recoiled soundlessly, face contorting, and all around voices rose up in protest. Link's might've been one of them, but his heart was suddenly thundering in his ears, making it kind of hard to hear. His left hand was prickling, his chin and his arm hurt.

'Try that again you son of a bitch-!' Ganondorf's voice again, cutting through the chaos, just as several of the soldiers' lanterns exploded. More yelps, the tinkle of broken glass falling to the floor. That caught Link's attention, that and the slight tingle of magic suddenly in the air, his gaze shooting to Ganondorf who looked a little spooked. It didn't last long, though, as his expression settled into one of steely resolve and he took another step forward.

'I said get your hands off my friends!' His voice rose, rang with power, and then-

And then the world exploded.