Chapter 21 – Returns, Part Two

It was with an ounce of hesitation that Link forced himself awake. Part of him wanted to stay in bed for several more hours because he had almost forgotten what it felt like to get a good night's sleep; It had to have been at least a week since he last slept completely through the night without any complications. Before last night, that is.

He had plenty of things to feel optimistic about before he went to bed last night, which directly led to him feeling at ease when he closed his eyes for the night. First and foremost, the potentially life-changing foot injury he had sustained vanished completely just last night, a fact he was very grateful for. Then, for probably the first time since they had been reunited, he was beginning to feel optimistic about Midna's well-being. Renado seemed to know what he was talking about, so it seemed likely that he could save her from her current predicament. And all of this led to him sleeping like a baby throughout the entire night.

But Link soon did force himself to get up. As much as he wanted to make this moment last, the fact of the matter remained that he still had far more pressing issues to take care of. But even with that in mind, he still did not really know how best to tackle those issues.

With a yawn, Link began to get up to his feet off the bed. It was a simple yet memorable feeling; never again would he undervalue the significance of being able to walk. He quickly took a look out the window and noticed that it was still early in the morning. The break of dawn could not have occurred more than an hour or so ago.

He stretched out his limbs a bit before walking over and sitting down at the nearby table. He picked up his boots, which he had laid on the ground next to the table, and put them on. He made sure to lace them up tightly before he rose back to his feet. He grabbed his sword and shield and securely strapped them to his back. He had been caught without them once now, but it would not happen again. He next picked up his black robe and threw it into his small bag of possessions, which he then slung around onto his back to carry.

He took one final glance at the room before he turned to leave. He had kind of grown attached to the place over the past three days, but that was probably only because it had a bed. After all those days sleeping out in the wilderness, his back certainly welcomed the pleasant change. But a moment later, Link turned around and exited through the door.

As he descended the stairs into the lobby, he noticed that Lyza was already up and was stationed at her post behind the counter. "You're up early." She said lightly as he approached.

"I could say the same to you." Link replied before coming to a stop in front of the counter. "So, how much do I owe you, anyway?"

"Oh." She said vaguely. "Well, the landlord told me that you don't owe the inn anything, given what happened and all."

Link nodded faintly. It was a nice gesture, but he almost felt guilty knowing that he was freeloading in an inn that was struggling financially. He was about to insist that he pay, but Lyza beat him to the punch by changing the subject. "So, you're going to be leaving now?" She asked him quietly.

Link nodded. In truth, he had no idea where to go, but he knew that he had to leave. However, he still could not travel too far away, as Renado was still in the possession of Midna. He wanted to stay nearby for her sake, in case any complications arose. Perhaps he could go back to Hyrule Castle, if for no other reason than to rescue Epona.

After a moment or two, he replied simply, "Yes."

"Don't you at least want some breakfast before you go?" Lyza asked, perhaps a bit hopefully.

His insides burned at the very mention of food. Apart from his very light breakfast the day before, he had not eaten since nearly two and a half days ago. Without thinking, he quickly nodded in confirmation.

Lyza smiled lightly and said, "Sit down, I'll go get you something."

With that, Lyza turned around and disappeared into the kitchen. Link began walking over toward the dining tables and took a seat at the nearest one. A moment or two passed before Lyza reappeared from out of the kitchen. She walked over and sat down across from him at the table but her hands were empty; evidently, the owner of the inn was the one doing the cooking again.

A couple of awkward moments of silence passed before she said quietly, "I know it sounds really selfish, but part of me wishes that you hadn't been healed, just so you could stay here longer."

Link looked at her, his mind full of thought. He wasn't sure if he should have felt humored or insulted. "I tried to tell you that this day would come." He said carefully after a minute or so. "Back when I first arrived."

"I know." She replied softly. "I still don't regret a thing."

Link smiled lightly, wishing that he could say the same. He had to admire her self-confidence. "Well, I'll probably be coming back every once in a while. My business with Renado has not yet come to an end."

"I knew that you would find some reason to come back." She replied coyly.

Link frowned. "A very serious one, at that." He muttered.

"So you say." She said lightheartedly.

Link rolled his eyes a bit but he smiled back at her nonetheless. A few minutes later, the owner of the inn emerged from the kitchen carrying two plates of hot food. Link could see the steam steadily rising from the food even at a distance, and he almost began to drool just thinking about it. But even as he began to imagine eating the delicious meal, a sharp, all-too-familiar voice resounded through his ears.

"Link." The voice boomed. It seemed to be coming out from somewhere in the streets, but it was loud enough that Link could hear it clearly even when separated by a solid wall. The voice was so cold that he began to get the chills just listening to it and his hair just seemed to stand on edge. "Come face me, Hero of Twilight. It is time we end this."

Everything just seemed to have stopped within the inn. The owner, who had been walking over to the table with two plates in his hands, had stopped in his tracks. He was frozen by fear and was silently staring at the exit to the inn, sacred of what may lie beyond it. Lyza, too, had frozen in her seat, as if trying, and failing, to convince herself that it was all just in her imagination.

Link, however, knew that this was no dream. "Damn it, not now…" He muttered to no one to particular. He quickly reached to his back to make sure he was fully armed this time around before he jumped from his seat and made his way towards the door.

"Wait, Link!" He heard Lyza say from somewhere behind him, but Link did not stop. He swung the door open and walked out into the streets. And there, standing in the middle of Kakariko, he saw exactly who he had been expecting to see.

"Well, now, Link." Ganondorf said as Link approached cautiously. "Don't act so surprised. I told you to come find me, and you did not even try. So, I took the liberty of coming to you."

"And you have already overstayed your welcome, Ganondorf." Link said back, trying to display an air of confidence that he was not currently feeling.

"Don't worry; I shall make my stay short." Ganondorf replied menacingly.

Link quickly made for the sword and shield at his back, and Ganondorf grabbed his own two-handed sword. Link stared at his adversary, finding himself thinking more about why Ganondorf was even here as opposed to the actual fight that lie before him. When he made his return to Hyrule, he did not attack because he claimed that he was still not fully healed. But that was only about a week ago. Could he have finished recovering in that short amount of time?

"I know what you are after." Ganondorf proclaimed, stirring Link from his thoughts. "I can give you what you seek. If you listen to my guidance and follow my direction, you will be stronger than you could have ever imagined."

"I will never listen to you!" Link roared.

"Ignorant child." Ganondorf said calmly. "That is the end that you desire, is it not? To be stronger? To control that precious source of power that the goddesses have foolishly passed on to you? It is the destination that counts, Link, not the direction. Make life easy on yourself and allow me to pass on my wisdom onto you."

Link didn't even bother to give the Dark Lord an answer. Instead, he gripped the Master Sword tight and charged at the hulk of a man who stood in front of him. With a loud roar, Link aimed a powerful vertical slash at him, but Ganondorf casually deflected the attack with his own blade as if it were nothing. Link allowed the momentum of his deflected attack to carry on, turning it into a horizontal slash that he aimed back at Ganondorf. However, the Dark Lord quickly jumped backwards to avoid the attack altogether. And once Link's attack passed without any contact, Ganondorf jumped forward to take advantage while Link was exposed. He landed a powerful kick to Link's chest, causing him to fly backwards a few feet and land painfully on his back.

Link grunted as he tried to regain his breath, having had most of it knocked out of him due to the impact with the ground. "I can feel your anger." Ganondorf said calmly, choosing not to jump on Link while he was down. "Good. Channel that anger. Allow it to consume you. That is the key to drawing on the power of the goddesses."

Link had no clue what Ganondorf was talking about, but he slowly forced himself to his feet. He certainly was feeling fury right now, but that got him no closer to figuring out how to use Triforce. And, even that matter aside, he still had no clue why Ganondorf was trying to help him.

"What are you trying to do?" Link asked with a frown.

"I am simply trying to help you realize your goal." Ganondorf replied. "And, in return, you may come to understand mine."

"I understand enough to know that it is no good." Link replied grimly.

"Then it is obvious that you do not understand enough." Ganondorf countered. "If you continue to train under me, you will see. An apprentice always takes after his Master, after all."

"I am nobody's apprentice." Link said sharply. "And you sure as hell aren't my master!"

"And yet, you continue to take my advice." Ganondorf said with a sly smile. "The rage continues to build inside of you."

Link put both hands on the Master Sword's hilt and began to charge again at the Dark Lord. About five feet away from where he stood, Link jumped off the ground and aimed a devastating jump attack his way. But Ganondorf easily stepped to the side and, while Link was down on one knee, slapped him across the head with the back of his hand.

Link went sprawling to the ground again but Ganondorf still remained rooted to the spot. "There is a subtle difference between anger and overconfidence." He said lightly as he watched Link rise to his feet again. "I suggest you learn it."

Link bit his lip in his anger. He grabbed his sword in both of his hands again and threw another vertical slash, but Ganondorf casually stepped out of the way. Once out of danger, he swept Link's feet out from under him, and Link went face-first into the dirt again.

Link spit out the loose dirt that had entered his mouth from the fall before getting back up to his feet. "You are persistent, aren't you?" Ganondorf said wryly. "You will need more than that to defeat me, however."

Link panted lightly as he stared at the Prince of Darkness. He was almost out of breath and his hands were slightly cut up after all the falls he had taken. He was beginning to sweat while Ganondorf still seemed completely dry. His arms were tiring even though he had yet to land a single blow. But even despite all of this, he felt confident in his abilities and knew that he still had a lot more in him.

"Come on, Hero." Ganondorf commanded. "Focus your anger. It must become part of everything that you are. Remember everything that I have put you through. Think of your imp, of your destroyed home village and all of its inhabitants. Now, focus that all on me. Let me feel your wrath!"

Link felt himself growing angrier by the second until he finally reached the breaking point. Link let out a roar of rage, and from there, he began to feel a change. Everything he saw around him became sharper and more refined, as if time itself was beginning to slow down. The Triforce symbol on the back of his hand was glowing brilliantly, but Link didn't need to know that fact in order to realize the source of this change.

"Yes!" Ganondorf exclaimed. "Now unleash it. Unleash your anger!"

But Link did not heed Ganondorf's command, nor did he even hear it. Link wasn't sure how, but he knew that he was in a state of unbelievable power, and he tried to remain as still as possible. As this was the first time he had ever experienced anything like this, he felt sure that he would not be able to control the energy that now flowed through his veins. One movement at all could be all it took to create an earthquake that would destroy the village.

Several pebbles down near Link's feet were hovering slightly above the ground, no doubt caused by his excess of power. His entire body was trembling, as if telling him to release this power that was granted to him. Indeed, part of him even thought that would be a good idea. In his current state, the prospect of taking down Ganondorf almost seemed easy.

"Link, no!" Link heard someone shout from behind him. "Control yourself, this is not the way!"

Link desperately wanted to know who had said that, but he dared not move a single muscle for fear of what might happen. He did, however, decide to follow the advice that he was given. He quickly closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down, an action which turned out to be harder than he had expected. His mind was buzzing with excitement and anger; a fact not aided by the fact that Ganondorf was still standing nearby.

"You…" Link heard Ganondorf say.

"Leave this place, Dark Lord." The mystery voice shouted back. "You cannot win against both of us."

"When my power returns to me, I shall make short work of both of you." Ganondorf said in reply. "Until then, Hero, enjoy your victory. And practice."

Ganondorf did not make another sound after that. Link, who had still been attempting to control his emotions, let curiosity get the best of him. He peeked open his eyes to see that Ganondorf was no longer standing in the streets of Kakariko. He must have teleported off to somewhere else. With that knowledge gained, Link felt himself rapidly growing dizzy. A moment later, he passed out, falling backwards to the ground with a loud thud.

"Ugh.."

Link grunted lightly as he awoke from his loss of consciousness. He felt very tired, but otherwise, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Looking around, he noticed that he was back in his familiar bed in the inn.

"Are you alright?" He heard someone say.

Link looked up and saw Lyza standing at the side of the bed and looking apprehensively down at him. He rubbed his head lightly as he tried to remember what had happened to lead him into this situation. He saw the midday sun glaring down through the window and assumed that he could not have been out more than an hour or so.

Link winced slightly as he rose to a sitting position on the side of the bed. "Was…was it you?"

"What?" Lyza asked quietly.

But Link quickly shook off the thought. It could not have been Lyza. Whoever it was that he had heard speaking to Ganondorf, it had to be someone that the Dark Lord truly respected as a worthy adversary. Otherwise, he would not have been so quick to leave.

Link closed his eyes and scratched the back of his head as he tried to think, but no thoughts were coming to him. After a moment or two, he gave up trying and said to Lyza, "Could you get me a drink of water?"

She gave him a worrisome look before turning around and quickly heading out of the room. Link groaned and rolled into a sitting position on the side of the bed. His entire body ached in a way which he had never experienced before; undoubtedly caused by his meddling with the powers of the Triforce. He felt completely drained, as if the strength had been sucked right out of him.

"We need to talk, Link." Link heard someone say. "Lose the girl."

Link's eyes snapped open at this unexpected voice and he cautiously scanned the room for the source. But after a moment of carefully surveying every corner of the room, it was clear that there was no other visible being in the room with him. He even tried calling out, saying "Hello?" to no one in particular, in a failed attempt to find the bearer of this mysterious voice. But it was very clear that he was alone with his own shadow in the room.

A minute or two later, Lyza returned with the glass of water. She handed it to him and asked, "Are you alright?"

Link nodded distractedly as he drank the entirety of the glass' contents in a couple of gulps. The water immediately did wonders to his aches, and it took only a couple of minutes before he felt as good as new. But as soon as he finished his drink, the message that the unknown voice had given him began to ring through his head, and he knew what he had to do. "Thanks for everything, Lyza." Link said shortly before he stood up and began to walk out the door.

"What, you're just going to leave?" She asked, hurriedly matching him stride-for-stride.

"I have to." Link replied as he started descending down the stairs.

"But-" Lyza started to say.

At the bottom of the staircase, Link came to an abrupt halt and turned around, and Lyza nearly ran into his back as she had been closely following him. "Think about it, Lyza. I've only been here a couple of days and I've started two battles. I can't stay here any longer. I have to put an end to this."

Lyza stood speechless at the foot of the stairs so Link took this opportunity to take his leave. At the front door, her turned back briefly and said, "Take care, Lyza."

Link took the final step out into the streets of Kakariko and let the inn's front door close behind him before she even got a chance to reply. He supposed that she deserved a more gracious good-bye, as she had spent much of the past couple of days treating his injuries, but Link's mind was elsewhere. He was growing more curious by the second in his anticipation to discover what this unknown stranger wanted to discuss with him. He walked towards the sacred spring, but no one popped out to meet him there. He was quite alone by this point, but perhaps he needed to get out of sight of the nearby buildings. But even as he treaded down the path to Hyrule Field, shielded by the cover of the mountains, he was not greeted by anyone.

It wasn't until he passed into Hyrule Fields and began crossing the bridge over Kakariko gorge that he was finally greeted by a very familiar stranger.

"Just like old times, eh, Wolf-boy?" Midna proclaimed giddily as she revealed herself from Link's shadow.

Link stopped in his tracks and spun around to meet his healed imp friend. This revelation, however, hardly came as much of a surprise to Link. He figured that it had to be her ever since he heard her voice while fighting Ganondorf; she was probably the only being, other than himself, in all of Hyrule that could get Ganondorf to turn his tail like that. Nonetheless, it still brought great joy to him to see her wry grin and her playful eyes staring up at him.

"Good to see that you are alright, Midna." Link replied lightly.

"Don't get soft on me now, Hero, we have much to do." Midna replied playfully.

"Fair enough." Link said. "Maybe now you can tell me exactly what you were trying to show me with that crazy vision you gave me?" He began to think back to a few days ago, when Midna had given him some kind of premonition. Just thinking about that image she had given him, that huge, hairy two-legged creature that vaguely looked like a bear on its hind legs, gave him the chills.

"Not here, Hero." Midna replied. "I get the feeling that your friend knows more than he is letting on. In this matter, he may be more informed than I."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Link asked. "Are you talking about Aaron?"

"Yes." Midna said simply.

"But, wait, you-" Link began to say.

"Not now, Link." Midna urged. "You must return to the castle. I need to talk to Zelda, and you need to have a chat with your friend."

"Wait, but…" Link stammered, now becoming thoroughly confused. "I-"

"I will answer everything I can once you make it back to the castle." Midna said, growing impatient. "Go now, Link."

With that, Midna jumped back into Link's shadow, leaving Link alone to his muddled thoughts.