Author's Note: Writer's block is not kind to me, and neither is school. Anyway, updates between now and June will be scarce, and probably even after that due to exams, holidays, and getting ready for the final part of my education. It comes first, as I am sure that you all know, but here is the chapter that I have been waiting to write for a very long time. No matter. I'll let you get on with it.

"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure despite overwhelming obstacles."

~Christopher Reeve~

Shards of Time

An Ocarina of Time FanFiction

Chapter 15: Time

~Interlude~

"Please excuse me for my boldness, Princess, but what did you just say?" Impa, the Sheikah elder, questioned quietly. She did not mean to be so incredibly rude at such a time, or at any time for that matter, however what the young heir spoke of was rather absurd. The torches hanging tightly from the ceiling flickered almost in response to her words, those and the large fire of their hideout on the outskirts of Hyrule cast cold shadows across the cobbles. They could not flee from Hyrule, for the Triforce of Wisdom would then split into eight pieces, allowing Ganondorf to become closer to the shard than where they were at in that particular time.

The activity of his forces may have been less where they were, but they could not let two Triforce pieces fall into his hands; not at such a vulnerable time for Hyrule.

The Princess sighed heavily, the weight of the world upon her shoulders. She had still kept her regal posture as she shifted her weight across the wooden chair beside the fire, the plush seat reminding her of the Palace that she could no longer call home now that Ganondorf had taken over Hyrule in such a way. The tension rose as the young heir raised her head to meet the crimson gaze of her guardian, silently regretting bringing up such a subject. Pursing her lips, she clasped her gloveless hands together in her lap, also pleading that she could wear the attire of the Palace that she had grown to detest in certain situations, wishing that she had some memory of her lost home.

"Impa, if we keep running, then we will still be caught someday. We cannot run from the inevitable, and running from a battle that we could win is not acting like the ruler that I must step up to now that Father is gone." The Princess winced harshly at the memory, avoiding Impa's wilting stare for a moment to fully establish her emotions into an even layout. Unclasping her hands, she inhaled sharply. "Impa... I must return to Hyrule and return the legitimate Royal Family members to the throne, even if I am all that they have left now. I cannot simply leave my people to such a fate underneath the boot of Power!"

Impa's eyes flowed to the ground, although there was little that she could do. In a sense, she knew that the Princess had to return to her homeland and establish the proper Royal Family to the seat of Hyrule itself, and it was the right thing to do. However, if she returned to Hyrule and was captured, the young heir would be forced to submit the Triforce of Wisdom. Not only would another piece of the Triforce fall into the hands of Ganondorf, but the Princess would be extremely harmed; something that Impa had vowed from the moment that they had met not to happen, not even if she had to lay down her life for the Princess in name.

"Princess," The Sheikah began soothingly, kneeling down before the young heir. "I understand this, but I must ask you at least to reconsider what you are saying. There must be another way!"

The eyes of the Princess softened slightly, even if her resolve did not waver whatsoever. "I'm sorry, Impa. I wish that there was too, but there isn't." She explained with a guilty tone. "During Ganondorf's attack, I realised just how powerless I was made, and how little power I have anyway." Impa moved to reject, however the young heir stepped in before she could do so. "If I submit to Ganondorf in the guise of a Sheikah, then I may be able to stay under his radar long enough while assessing his plans. I can then report back to you and the Resistance when I can."

"Princess, that's far too dangerous!" Impa exclaimed, causing the Princess to wince at her audacity. Without hesitation, the Sheikah rose to her feet and turned away, her motherly role interfering greatly with what the young heir was proposing. "If Ganondorf does not accept you, then he was class you as suspicious. Also, if he somehow does accept you, then he will take the Triforce of Wisdom if he comes to terms with your true identity. With two Triforce pieces, then the hope that Hyrule has now will be extremely bleak. We cannot afford to let the Triforce fall into such dark hands."

"I know, Impa." The Princess clarified. "But he still won't have the Triforce of Courage. If Link is sealed within the Sacred Realm, then the Master Sword has accepted his hand and so he will become the Hero of Time when he is of age. From the legends, that will be within the next five years. No one can awaken him until the Master Sword desires him to, therefore no one can claim Courage for themselves. When he does awaken, then he will grow the power necessary to slay Ganondorf. Hyrule has hope. And, deep down, you know that too. I will not allow myself to be the damsel in distress that many of my ancestors have become, whether it be rumour or truth."

A deep, pregnant silence befell the room, one that was too thick to even choke on. Impa lowered her head, closing her eyes for a moment with a heavy sigh. She did not want to agree, but something within her begged that the young heir was right; that the world needed its Princess and future Queen. She twisted back around to the Princess. "I understand, Princess. I suppose acting underneath him may cross you off his list..." She huffed again, dropping her arms. "Despite the dangers, you must always know that if things get shady, flee as fast as Nayru permits you to. We cannot let you fall into his grasp, not when Hyrule is all ready on the brink of destruction."

The Princess's lips tugged up into a broad smile. "Yes. Thank-you, Impa." They embraced tightly, their bond not severed and unlikely to become cut at whatever point. They were far too close to become emotionally apart after all that they had supported each other through together. In the Princess's opinion, the Sheikah elder was almost as much as a mother as her own was, even if they were never to be on the same level of the hierarchy. Nonetheless, Impa saw the Princess as a daughter that she would most likely never have, and that would never change.

Within hours, they were ready. It was a tense, silent approach that lasted far too long. The two moved about the hideout with mechanical movements, emotions both low and high at the exact same time, although it could not last for long before they had both finally become prepared enough. The Princess and elder Sheikah stood before the fire, sapphire orbs meeting stern bloody ones. Impa pursed her lips, still unsure of whether she was doing the right thing. However, the words of the young heir were not to be ignored if she was a Chosen; by Nayru of Wisdom no doubtlessly.

It was destiny.

"It is necessary that you tell them that you are of the Sheikah race, one that has been exiled no matter how much they loyally served the Royal Family." The Sheikah elder explained softly, wincing at her own words. She lead the Sheikah, and to be but a Shadow was a lowly fate for one like herself. "Explain that you have returned upon word of the Kingdom's destruction. They will have no choice but to believe you, as the Shadow Folk are nothing but exiles." The young Princess nodded in agreement. "Are you positive that this is Nayru's Wisdom aiding you?"

She nodded immediately. "I am positive, Impa." Impa's eyes glinted with both sadness and respect, and she raised her hand up to meet the young heir's forehead with two of her fingertips. She began to mutter some form of Ancient Sheikah incantation, one that should have drained much of her Life Force, however became to be very little do to the increase in her powers since the last she cast the spell. "Thank-you, Impa." The Princess said softly as a soft white light enveloped her. "I'll make you proud."

Though the enchantment, Impa smiled softly. 'Your consciousness shall sleep.' She whispered into the young heir's mind. 'Princess Zelda shall sleep and awaken as a Sheikah boy. No matter what, I shall be beside your side...' The Princess was surrounded in a blinding light, one that even Impa had to block the piercing gaze from, her tiny smile simply growing as the spell was complete. 'You all ready have made me proud, Princess. As your guardian, I am proud of your wisdom and inner strength. When all of this is over, I beg to the Holy Three, you shall make a fine Queen. My Princess, please be safe...'


Light. All that washed over his vision was light, nothing else but the piercing whiteness that was blinding. He attempted to call out to someone, anyone, but his voice had died long before he realised that it had. No matter what he tried to say or do, nothing happened. While his physical body could not move, his spirit soared across the blank void in a desperate attempt to find someone and beg for their help. How long he ran for, he did not know, but the one thing that he did know was the fact that he was truly and utterly alone; loved ones and strangers alike not present.

At random intervals, a crack would form in the blank sheet of nothingness. He ran towards it every time, reaching out for it with all of his might, but his hand slipped straight through. The crack seemed almost like a mirror, although there was nothing to be reflected other than the sterile world surrounding him. Time passed in a hazy cloud, leaving no hints behind on how much of it had passed while his consciousness was questioned. There were many points at which there was very little comfort in hope, or very little comfort in anything. There was only a few times in which you could cry out in horrible pleas or count the dust on your worn down boots.

But when there was no hope, courage itself seemed to prevail. The cracks dotted about the hazy land seemed to grow as meaningless time passed by grew in size, catching his attention. At first, there was a candle of hope blossoming in his chest, only to die still born at the thought of hope still existing in the world that he sat in. However, something changed that time. The mirror shards seemed to grow more and more, forcing him to draw up and onto his feet at the sight. An unknown feeling stirred in his heart, something that he become uncomfortable at as soon as it appeared. He stared as the world grew brighter, a fact that was near impossible in his mind.

There was a scream, manic laughter, and the sound of shattering glass.

He squeezed his eyes shut, the suddenness and intensity of the event making him cringe. The next time that his eyes fluttered open, however, things were all very different. The world surrounding him was still extremely bright, but the colours ranged from white to a deep blue instead of purely the former. He stood on a large, hexagonal shaped platform dyed a bright blue colour, the design of it pulsating around his feet. At each of the six vertexes stood six other platforms adorning certain colours: yellow, green, red, blue, orange, and purple.

Casting his gaze down to his feet, he realised that he stood in the very centre a Triforce design embedded into the ground above the blank Triforce shard. From the design did water flush out, becoming the pulsating colours that he had noticed first. Raising a brow, he pivoted around again, taking in the random pillars that he could not reach, each of them with light shed onto. His presence was the only one there, and caused a wave of isolation and fear to wash through his veins. Upon his sudden realisation, he fell onto his knees and held his body close.

"Link?" He snapped his head up suddenly, the sound of a voice almost like an illusion to him. Twisting himself around, his eyes found the Guardian Fairy that he had been deprived of for such a long time. In fact, during the confinement to the whiteness, Navi was the first being that he called out for. The white ball of light, no matter how the colour reminded him of that time, flew straight at his chest; leaving him a fraction of a second to open his arms out to hold her, shoulders sagging when she halted in mid flight. "You've... grown up?"

In those three words, his heart stopped.

Turning his head towards the water's embrace, he lent over the edge of the Triforce insignia and stared into the deep reflection of the crystal liquid surrounding him. The Guardian Fairy had spoken nothing but the truth itself, for he had grown up. He was not a Kokiri after all, nothing but a mortal without a care for anything else but his sudden physical change. Navi's guiding light hovered closer towards her companion, perplexed and astounded as the fact that her friend had not passed on had finally made sense; something that she was extremely thankful for.

While he still wore what he had done ever since he had left the Kokiri's Forest, there was subtle differences. His clothes had somehow still managed to fit for his increased size, his hair had grown much over time, and his eyes held something more piercing than before – something that was almost entrancing to see. As Link and Navi stared into the water beneath them, silently moving closer and closer, a spark of light snatched their attention. Their whirled around towards the light, eyes wide as a figure appeared out from the explosion at their feet, taken in by the new presence that appeared atop the yellow platform opposite them.

Link held his head in alarm. "W-What... what is...?"

"Calm down, Link." The man held his hands out towards Link in an act of soothing. His white facial hair wafted as he spoke, covered from head to toe, arm to fingertips, in orange robes decorated with red. His piercing eyes were strong, yet held a comforting vibe from them. The man smiled softly. "You are doubtlessly confused and overwhelmed, so I shall explain everything that I can as coherently as possible." Navi helped her companions calm down as the man gestured towards himself. "My name is Rauru, and I am the Sage of Light that watches over Hyrule from my place in the Sacred Realm."

"This is the Sacred Realm?" Navi questioned lightly, holding her hands over her partner's shoulder. Rauru nodded in agreement, causing both Link and Navi to scan their surroundings again. "Why are you in the Sacred Realm? I thought that spirits could only linger in..." The eyes of the Guardian Fairy widened in alarm at the look upon the Sage of Light's complexion. Her tine stomach twisted. "Oh..."

Rauru shook his head of dark thoughts, eyes flickering between the Guardian Fairy and her companion. "You have come to the correct conclusion, Sentinel. This is the Temple of Light situated inside of the Sacred Realm, and is the last stand against Ganondorf. The Chamber of the Sages is a place that I pray that he will never touch." He explained calmly, clasping his hands together. Memories flashed before his eyes, and he struggled to contain the pain that he had once felt. Phantom agony was all that he felt, meaning that he could never see the light of day ever again. His spirit was strong, yet, but being a Sage always came with consequences. "I was sealed away by Ganondorf when he broke into the Sacred Realm and—"

"But we kept him away, didn't we?" Link suddenly blurted out, cutting off Rauru's sorrowful clarification. The Sage of Light watched him intently, making sure that he came to his own conclusions; his own destiny. "I thought that he had rode off and..." Navi's gasp stopped his train of aloud thought, and he thought that he heard he recall a name out loud that was very familiar. Also in the realm of confinement, he had called out for her as well, her sarcastic, know-it-all attitude nowhere to be found. "Ciren..." His eyes widened in realisation, and he looked up to Rauru suddenly. "Is she all right? Why am I like this? What happened to Hyrule? Is the Princess safe? I don't want any of them to be hurt..."

The Sage of Light held his hand up once again in an attempt to calm him. "At ease, Link. I shall explain all that I can." After he was able to calm Link down, Rauru continued. "The Master Sword is a blade that none can touch except for those worthy of meeting the destiny chained to it. However, you were far too young to meet that fate which came with the sword. Therefore, you were placed into a sleep that lasted for seven years, and Hyrule has suffered gravely during that time. Ganondorf leapt into the Sacred Realm as you pulled the Master Sword, taking the Triforce with it. And yet, he was never able to take the entire Triforce for himself."

"Why not?" Link asked, the confinement of seven years shoved to the back of his mind.

"Because if a person with a righteous heart touches the Triforce, then they shall be accepted by the Golden Power, and Hyrule shall prosper in paradise." Navi recited, memories of the Great Deku tree doing the same to her flooding back into her mind. "But it someone with a dark heart touches the Triforce, then it will split up into its three singular shards and each piece shall house themselves within three Vessels that have similar attributes to them: Power, Wisdom, or Courage."

"Indeed." The Sage of Light agreed quietly. "And Ganondorf has more than a dark heart, as I am sure that you are aware of. He managed to steal the Triforce of Power before it was housed within another Vessel, and while we know very little on the Vessel of Wisdom, we know that you—" He turned to Link, who became pale faced a little at the action, knowing exactly what was coming next. "—hold the Triforce of Courage. You are destined to become the Hero of Time from legend itself, Link, and it was what you were born to do."

His eyes cast down to his hand, one where the Mark burned free for all to see. "The Hero... of Time?"

"Hope remains for this world, though it is you only who can save this wilting land from Ganondorf's magical abilities." Rauru continued without hesitation, clasping his hands together again as Link came to his realisation. "There are five Sages across the land who have not been awakened. I am the Sixth, and the Seventh is the one to lead us all, though the Seventh is near unreachable at this point. You must focus all efforts on reawakening these Sages, then, and only then, will Hyrule have more hope of defeating Ganondorf than it has at this moment. Do you understand?"

All became silent, the words of the Sage of Light sinking into both Link and Navi. Ever since the Master Sword was drawn, the Guardian Fairy had also been asleep, though she had awoken many times like any other Guardian Fairy would. Every year, one the "anniversary" that the Master Sword had been drawn, the seal around her companion had broken ever so slightly. Her hope was high at first, though time went by (something that, like Link, she was unaware of) and it began to wilt away. There was very little that she could do for her partner, as her connection to him had been momentarily severed.

It was horrible not to feel his presence.

As Navi bowed her head, her companion continued to stare at the burning Mark on his hand, one that was a horror and something comforting at the same time. While it was him who unlocked the way for Ganondorf to enter the Sacred Realm, something about the Mark whispered hope into his mind. "It's going to be all right." It could have been saying. There was a strong connection between him and the Mark at that point, and something awoke inside of him. He rose his head to meet Rauru's concerned gaze, the Sage of Light worried that he would not accept the destiny that the Old Gods had set out for him.

"I... I understand. I'll help in any way that I can."

"For one so young at heart, you have the abilities to face the world with the wisdom and strength of a true Hero." The Sage of Light commended, visibly relaxing before the two of them. "From this day forwards, your trials shall be many, each more difficult than the last. This is your destiny, and there are more that believe in you than you would expect." The light of the Chamber of the Sages began to dim, and Link rose to his feet with Navi at his side. Watching Rauru, his eyes hardened as the Temple of Light faded away. "Go valiantly together, Hero and Sentinel, and awaken the hopes in this dying world!"

As the Sage of Light's final encouragement faded away, the deep blue light of Time itself transported Link and his Guardian Fairy to the Temple of Time, inside of the room where the Master Sword had been drawn; the pedestal empty with the sword against its Bearer's back. The calming sensation that was supposed to be felt with all presences in the Temple could finally be felt, the chaos from the last time which Link and Navi were there reseeding from the Temple somewhat.

There was a pregnant silence where Link stared down at the Pedestal of Time at his feet, his Guardian Fairy planting herself onto his shoulder in some form of comfort. "Are you all right, Link?" She asked quietly, although she all ready knew what the answer was going to be. "I would understand if you didn't want to leave yet. This is a big thing that no one could ever just start off of a whim. It wouldn't be right if you just marched off into the world without thinking about it." He sighed softly, glancing at his partner for a moment before looking up at the window permitting light into the chamber.

He turned around and left, ignoring her words completely.

Navi, worried and slightly confused, flew after her partner as he left the chamber, hands free of items but the world weighing down upon his shoulders. The light of the Temple faded a little as he stepped back out into the main part where the altar still stood, the three Spiritual Stones which he and Ciren collected gone from their rightful places. Glancing down, Link noticed a small carving into the altar. Navi watched from behind as he knelt down, tilting her head at his sudden quietness and hoping to understand what he was feeling; in whatever way possible.

"The Ocarina of Time opened the Door." He read softly, hand tracing the words. "The Hero of Time, with the Master Sword, descended here." He sighed again, looking over his shoulder towards his partner. "They have been waiting for me, Navi, and I've been asleep too long to let Hyrule fall. Hyrule's downfall... i-it's my fault..." He bowed his head, eyes warm but tears unyielding to fall. Navi's gaze softened immensely, and she chewed at her lip a long time before fluttering towards him, taking his face into her tiny hand and forcing him to stare back at her.

"You had no control over the sleep, Link." She clarified quietly. "It was the will of the Old Gods to wait until now. No disaster strikes without the word of the Gods, and this is a test not only for you, but for all of Hyrule too. It doesn't matter that you were asleep, or that Hyrule is partially gone, because there is still the future ahead of us. Just because all of this happened, not by your hand either before you say anything—" She quickly added before his voice could reach his lips. "—doesn't mean that it cannot be unchanged. Hyrule can be saved, Ganondorf can be relieved of the Triforce, and this world can return to the Era of Peace that the Gods had willed us."

He wanted to protest. By the name of the Three he did. But, instead, he just smiled. "Thank-you." His voice was barely audible, but Navi heard it nonetheless. She returned it with a comforting smile too, floating away from his face as he dusted himself off and rose back onto his feet. He drew the Master Sword, the sound of it clearing its sheathe holy to the walls of the Temple of Time, and he watched the reflection of his face in the metal intently. "I will protect these people. They shouldn't have to go through this. I won't rest until I've made up for my mistakes."

The Guardian Fairy frowned slightly, but said nothing as she hovered above her partner's head. He turned to the entrance to the Temple of Time, bracing himself as he walked across the plush red carpet, the Door of Time slamming shut behind him. He glanced back at the closed Door, the symbol of Time itself embedded into the cool stone. Something jerked inside of him, an idea that he could not fully comprehend. The image of Time came with a strange comforting sensation that he couldn't fully understand, the very idea of it much like a mother or father to their child; something that he would never understand.

His mind collapsed into silence at the sight before his eyes.

Link halted suddenly atop the steps leading deep into the Temple, eyes widening at the sight of Ganondorf's corruption that had waged across Hyrule in his absence. The courtyard before the Temple was old and haggard, and a thought to believe that the Temple was somehow still standing. There had only been a few graves outside of the Temple before, however this time it was littered with makeshift graves. No one knew how many bodies were buried after the mass hysteria caused by Ganondorf's uprising; many of them buried without anything left to commemorate them, their names and roles left to the Old Gods and their loved ones.

From the vantage point high above her companion, Navi flew high up into the air and stared in pure horror at the Market beneath her. Almost all of the homes where uninhabitable, most completely gone and left in ruins. The shadow of Hyrule Castle loomed in the distance, however it seemed distorted and disfigured, ripped down by destiny and replaced with an idea far worse than any War. The fountain in the central Square was dishevelled, the people and their goods gone from all sight possible. The skies churned above with angry reds and cold blacks, browns and greys combined somewhere in between.

Fate did not continue to act in a kind attitude, fickle as ever, as the Guardian Fairy noticed shadows surging towards the Temple's courtyard.

"Link!" Navi cried in realisation, shooting back down to his side. He snapped his eyes away from the shadow of Death Mountain, a ring of fire illuminating the other mountains surrounding it. "Moblins are coming! We have to run!" He nodded immediately, far too much at a loss for words to even consider using his voice before the Master Sword appeared, a strange shield Rauru must have bestowed upon him behind it. The deep blue colour of the shield radiated hope, the symbol of the Triforce and crimson Phoenix triumphant against the metal base.

The mass of shadows appeared seconds later, and around six Moblins rushed up the steps towards the Temple of Time's courtyard. Link leapt into action straight away, throwing himself at the enemies before him. He had fought many monsters before Ganondorf's uprising, meaning that he had to become used to the Kokiri's Blade far quicker than any other swordsman would, and it seemed to somewhat paid off then. The monsters swarmed around him, but he did not falter despite their overwhelming advantage.

Suddenly, with very little warning whatsoever, a sweet sound echoed from the rooves above – fate's kindness kindling the flames of hope.

Almost overcome by the sudden onslaught of monsters, the Guardian Fairy flew up while her partner battled hard, releasing a tiny gasp when a figure stood tall; the giant full moon illuminating the outline of them, though mostly the golden Harp that rested in their crook of their arm. Their delicate fingers were poised above the many strings of the beautifully crafted instrument, pale blonde hair twisting against the slight breeze that blew against their slender figure. Navi stared in shock as the figure suddenly leapt down and into the fray, jerking backwards in shock.

The figure grinned knowingly at Link, who was merely perplexed at the aid that appeared with next to no warning, watching him intently with crimson eyes as they strummed their Harp with a flourish, the mysterious power the instrument holding releasing a wave of energy that discarded of all of the monster present; stemming the flow of evil spewing from the dark mist where Hyrule Castle stood. The figure did not hesitate before grabbing Link's arm and pulling him into the shadows and away from the wreckage of the Market Square. "W-Who are you?!"

"There's no time." They responses in a curt tone, although there was a feminine touch to it. "We can't let the Hero of Time die on the first day of his job, can we?" In the fragments of moonlight that was permitted through the rooves above them along with Navi's guiding light, both her and her partner were able to see more of the mysterious being aiding them; and one who knew about Link's role as the Hero of Time as well. Both the base of their neck up to their nose and the crown of their head was covered with white cloth, though their piercing gaze and tufts of blonde hair were clearly visible, spiralling out into a plait down their back. Knives adorned their hips and legs, their tight clothing marked with the Sheikah Eye and its symbolic colours.

"Who are you? Why are you helping us?" Link repeated again, eyes narrowing, the Guardian Fairy on the lookout for any form of evil pursing them; and yet, it seemed that the monsters fled at the sight of this figure. The figure avoided his intent gaze, but his resolve did not waver. He stopped without hesitation and glared at their saviour. They whirled around in shock, but Link, again, did not hesitate. "I don't care. I've woken up in a world that I've bought down, and no one has given me a clear explanation of what has happened over seven years and who to trust. I am not leaving until I have answers."

Navi fluttered nervously from above, unsure of how to react to her companion's sudden reaction to all of this. In her mind, she had somewhat accepted the idea because she had time to understand it while she wasn't sealed away like Link was, however he didn't. "Very well." She, they assumed, sighed once scanning the terrain fully. "I am Sheikah, one of the last of the Sheikah Exiles. I am here to resist against Ganondorf's power in some hopes to returning the true Royal Family back to the seat of Hyrule. You are the Hero of Time, accompanied by the Guardian Fairy that you have had since your destiny began." She sighed again. "Believe me or don't, but we have some of Ganondorf's forces after us again; and we can't lose you to them."

She hadn't even looked up to know that they were there.

Even though they were still unsure of whether to trust the Sheikah warrior, the two simultaneously exchanged simple glances before darting off towards Sheik, wanting to at least be free of monsters before figuring the rest out. Link cast perplexed looks towards the female Sheikah. If he could find the Princess or Impa, then he would find answers. Placing trust into someone immensely suspicious was something that he didn't want to do, however he needed whatever help that he could find if he were to figure out his own destiny and then complete it so he could then return to the life that he had desired long ago.

He didn't even understand why Sheik was so untrustworthy, but his gut instinct had carried him far. He could let him bring him onward for a little longer.

As they ran, Navi inquired: "How do you know so much about Link's role, Sheik? I thought that these things were but legends for the children." She hesitated by the glance that she was cast by the Sheikah. "I-I didn't mean it like that." She reiterated. "I meant: why do you believe in such things when they are officially classed as legends. Myths in the making. While it may be true, has your belief in it carried you this far?" Sheik did not speak for a long time. The Guardian Fairy meant well, though it was a tough question to decipher. The Sheikah had believed in the legend for a long time, and knew that it wasn't what it had been dubbed.

She knew it more than anyone.

"There are five Sages that you must awaken, as I'm sure you have been told by the Rauru." Sheik explained as they ran, the Sheikah ignoring Navi's question completely and sending blasts of energy out as Link took up the Master Sword's glowing embrace.

Link raise an eyebrow at the young Sheikah. "How do you know about Rauru?"

Sheik shifted her weight across the cobbles as she ran, stilling her tongue for a moment before properly answering. "I... I am a Sheikah." She said quietly. "Understanding the concept of the Hero of Time's duty is necessary to aid the Royal Family, even if we are Exiles..." She clutched at her Harp tightly, deciding to immediately change the subject. "And the Sages come with that. Anyway, I know of their locations, even if I could only do so little for them. The Sage of Forest resides in the Kokiri's Forest with the folk of immortal children."

Navi's eyes widened in alarm, calling out the locations of their enemies before whispering harshly: "T-The Forest?"

Sheik smiled a little, stopping in order to take the Moblins on entirely, her and Link working simultaneously with the Guardian Fairy's guiding talk. "Yes. Even those who are classed as myth exist with large roles." The Sheikah remarked knowingly, hinting at their previous conversation. She flipped out of the way of a spear before continuing in a quiet tone. "The Sage of Fire dwells in the heart of Death Mountain among the Gorons, while the Sage of Water lives in the water's embrace of Zora's Domain. The Sage of Shadow is among the Sheikah, though there is too many in the hierarchy there to understand who holds the power of a Sage yet. The final Sage is of Spirit, and survives through the harsh Gerudo Valley, their home built around the Goddess of the Sand."

While Link was not used to the weight and power of the Master Sword, something broke inside of him that became almost instinct to become fully aware of the sword and how to handle it accordingly. Tearing into battle, he and Sheik worked their way through the mass of monsters throwing themselves at the two of them, following the words of the Guardian Fairy until they would flee once again. The shadows blotted across the Market, casting harsh shadows across the one place that once held the most light possible in Hyrule. Whether it be due to the Temple of Time or the overall atmosphere, whatever light once resided there was not there any longer.

"I wonder if Ciren knows about the Sage of Spirit." Navi noted as they ran, the edge of Market drawing closer from the horizon. Navi glanced down at him for a moment, caught up between his remark and the decreasing amount of monsters appearing behind them. The drawbridge was completely ruined, almost as much as the desolate Market left in scraps for the Moblins to feed off of. The Guardian Fairy's light dimmed ever so slightly, although no one was there to notice.

"She could, if she was anywhere about." Link replied calmly, though the memories of the last moments between them were not what most would dub "happy". Meanwhile the female Sheikah scanned the terrain, unsure of why there was an extreme lack of monsters spewing forth from Ganon's Tower; which was more worrying than hopeful sign wise. Sheik had been battling the darkness not long after it had arrived, so it was difficult to understand why there was suddenly a decrease in enemy activity.

Navi smiled suddenly, her mind fading away from the Moblins and their sudden lack of support. "She could even be the Sage. She has a lot of spirit."

Link smiled brightly, colour returning to the small features of his Guardian Fairy. "I don't think that she would have the patience for a Sage."

Navi returned the smile herself. "I don't think you give her enough credit, Link." She said quietly, catching his attention suddenly. "She may not have the patience required for such a role, but she is much more dutiful to her Sisters than you would expect. I think you know that too." His smile became sad, though there was next to no time before it was wiped away completely, an onslaught of Moblins spewing forth from the entrance to the Market. Link and Sheik skidded into a stop, becoming acutely aware that no matter what they were to do, they were surrounded by too many Moblins to count. The light the held drew them in, and there was nothing that they could do.

Link's back hit the Sheikah's, and their dark glances at each other were filled with a harsh resolve. No matter what trust and faith was held between them, they needed each other. With a nod, they sprang into action. The world became a whirl of blurring images, mixing into a combination of Moblin meat, clothing, blood, and light from both the Mast Sword and Sheik's golden Harp. The Guardian Fairy fluttered high above, signalling to the two of them whether they were in danger of not. Moblins with bows shot towards the Guardian Fairy, though he brisk flight was enough to save her from danger. What had been perceived as an onslaught on the outside was not the same in the battle, yet it was far from over.

Sheik elicited a cry of pain without warning, clutching at her side in pain from the Moblin who had nearly severed her side in two with the bloody spear in its hand. The rest of the enemies caught onto it and immediately went after the wounded Sheikah. She used whatever healing powers that she could, although they proved to be of good use when her energy supply was decreasing through the Harp and the monsters kept arriving. Navi's warning captured Link's attention as well, although there was nothing that he could do before the Moblins were on him, puncturing a hole into his left arm; causing the Master Sword to fall to the ground with a useless clang.

The two of them glanced at each other, unsure of what else to do with very few supplies. Their eyes shone with both pain, trust, and a sensation that only Sheik understood. She had felt the same feeling for the past seven years, even if there was nothing that she could do in the time between the uprising of Ganondorf and the point in which she was meeting death straight on. To Link, he was unsure of how to compose himself. He had no answers, and had very little space or energy left to move and fight again; his main weapon against this Army out of his reach.

However, it seemed that their desperate prayers to the Goddesses above became answered eagerly, a saviour appearing without any form of hesitation.

Duel lines of wind snapped down as a cloaked figure slammed their twin blades into the cobbles beneath them, sending the Moblins surrounding the two staggering backwards; some even falling over completely from the blast that the speed of the swords created. The saviour did not stop there, though, grabbing onto both Link and Sheik (signalling for Navi to drop down also) before drawing forth a contraption and locking it to one of the castle walls, pulling a trigger that dragged all of them upward and out of harm's way.

The Moblins cried desperately from below, and the saviour drew a familiar bow, drawing arrows at a speed that matched water, killing the few Moblins remaining with few arrows than what usually could have been needed. While the Sheikah parted her pale lips to respond in some way, her lack of breath stopped her. Link felt the same, and so did Navi. Their hearts pounded, and the saviour did nothing but stand tall above them, slinging the bow over their shoulder, the dying sunlight barely catching their slightly tanned skin and perfect skin.

The saviour chuckled lightly as the wind caught their cowl, dark robes falling down their face slightly to reveal a bundle of windswept crimson hair, golden eyes glowing as much as their pearly smile. "You better not always look to me in a pinch. I'm not the one playing Hero here, am I? And," Ciren of the Gerudo remarked sarcastically, grinning broadly as she looked down upon the Hero of Time, Sheikah warrior, and Guardian Fairy. She directed her next words towards Link in particular, placing a hand against her hip. "I must admit: for being the Hero of Time, you certainly don't understand how to arrive early, now, do you?"