Hey, everyone. Welcome to the second update of the year and the first post-Tears of the Kingdom Release. It's definitely gotten quite a reception, which was what Nintendo was aiming for. To give my personal opinion, it's had its charms, but…I can't say I was a fan of its story. Particularly how it was implemented, and how little it seemed to connect to Breath of the Wild. And the Fusion mechanic was kind of fun, but it still left a bit of an unpleasant taste in my mouth. Not as bad as the durability mechanic from BotW, but I can't say it was a major improvement.

Okay, now that that's over with, onto the matter of this story. It will be continuing on as I more or less originally planned. As for what that means, well, you all are going to have to read to find out what I mean. The next chapter's finally here and I hope you all enjoy it!

I do not own anything.

Chapter 7-A Woman Named Mirajane

Link had a pretty good feeling he'd have been able to get to sleep if the news about Shalford hadn't reached him. Once it did, he knew there was no way in hell that he was going to be getting any sleep; neither would anyone else.

He couldn't for the life of him tell how many times he'd done this routine-getting his things packed in preparation for a mission completely out of the blue. All his previous plans, gone. His mind was focused on the up incoming mission-on the fight that awaited him. It got his blood pumping through his often silent exterior. Some people have noted how unsettling he looked while doing so. Link never let it bother him, he could understand what they meant. He did approach things with a single-minded focus that could come off as unnerving to others. Especially since he used to forgo talking so much as a word to other people.

Those times were often because his head was filled with his own thoughts, thoughts he didn't quite know how to express. That wasn't quite the case this time. He had people to talk to, and people who somewhat needed to talk to him.

"I never thought hunting a demon would be this wild."

Turning to face Trevor, Link gave him a miniscule smile. "Why? Demons are elusive creatures. There's plenty of stories about hunting them."

Trevor chuckled. "Yeah, but I didn't read too many of those stories. Not to mention there's a difference between reading about something…and…actually experiencing it in-person." His gaze turned forlorn as it fell on the Hylian Champion-Hyrule's last Champion. "Link, odds are she's long gone by now."

"Probably, but we can at least try to pick up a trail on where she's gone. That's the important thing." He replied in response to his statement. Link was under no delusions about what the scene would be when they got ton Shalford-chaos and confusion. Those things were always left in the wake of the she-demon that had descended upon Hyrule. The frustration was palpable, but Link had learned how to channel it as best he could. Patience had been something he'd been forced to learn since his "resurrection". "I'm just…hoping the damage isn't too severe."

"According to the message we got, most of the fighting was taking place outside the town. Can you believe it? Who could go head-to-head with that she-demon the same way you could?" Asked the green-eyed soldier with shock.

It was a question that he was genuinely curious about himself. That she-devil was undoubtedly one of the strongest opponents he'd ever faced, surpassing even the Blight Ganons in power and lethality. Clashing with her took every bit of his fighting ability, and that was just to stay alive. Link knew he had a chance of winning with his strongest and most treasured weapon, but it was still an uphill battle for him. If anyone could match her blow for blow like him…that was cause for relief and concern. Despite not trying to overthink the possibilities, Link found himself doing exactly that. He did it in plain view of his fellow soldier and friend as well, whose face fell seeing what his words had caused.

"Link, Link," Trevor called, reaching over and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Whatever we come up against, we'll have your back. All of us. Remember, you're not in this alone." The Hylian's lips parted, a heartfelt acceptance yet retort possibly on the tip of his tongue. "Look, we may not be quite as strong as you, but you've trained with us. Hell, you've trained some of us yourself. You know we can be tough enough to put up a fight. Even if we have to buy some time for the main event to get into position."

Whatever Link was about to say died in his throat. A brighter smile grew on Link's face, "Thanks, Trevor."

"You better thank me for being so nice about you. Odds are some of the other guys wouldn't be, and they'd probably hit you for overworking your brain before we even got there to do any fighting."

"Hey, you make it sound like outside of swinging a sword there's only so much I can do!" The two fell into a routine and much appreciate bout of laughter. Even after it ceased the pair felt stronger, more confident than they had moments earlier. Link in particular felt just a little bit light. Sometimes he still found himself struggling to adjust to the feeling of being in an army. In having allies who'd be there to support him in a fight. Even the lingering shadow of doubt couldn't sink its claws into him the same way it could before.

"Link, Trevor, you guys finished loading up! We're on the clock, remember!" Shouted a voice from outside the storage room.

Standing up, the two warriors looked one another in the eye. They knew they were about to step into another hectic battle, one where their odds of survival were in question. As soldiers, that didn't surprise them, nor did it scare them. Sharing a mutual nod, they turned to the door and called out to their commanding officer.

"All set!"

This time, I'll take you down for sure, She-Devil. I won't let you hurt anyone else! The Hero of the Wilds passionately affirmed.

"…WHAT?!"

"I had a feeling this was going to happen. Look, I know it's hard to believe, but-"

"Hard to believe? Hard to believe?! That's putting it lightly!"

After his initial outburst, Link's voice shutdown. It simply hung on its hinges, and he was far from the only one. On the flipside, some were unable to keep their mouths shut, question after question spilling from their mouths. Both sides had good reasons for their respective reactions. As for Link, he mainly stuck to silence-it tended to be his default reaction to most shocking events. Silence always came easy to him. Good news, bad news, horrible news, he tended to take it all in stoic silence. He wasn't always so stoic though, there were times when he let his jaw hang open. Those around him would sometimes comment on it, if it was enough to get his jaw to drop then it had to be something massive indeed. What he , his comrades, and his queen had just been told without a doubt, absolutely qualified as jaw-dropping.

When news of the chaos in Shalford arrived, everyone braced themselves to find the town ablaze, bodies strown about with blood splatters every few feet. Akkala Citadel had set the tone for the She-Demon's rampages. Even now, over a week later the fortress still lay in ruins. Talk about its reconstruction hung in the air, but the actual work had long since stalled. Several builders expressed their discontent to work while such a monster was still on the loose. Likewise, across the country several builders had held similar fears-why build something up only to have it razed to the ground by a demonic woman? Not just builders but ordinary citizens had begun to fear the same. No doubt that fear had gripped the people of Shalford. A scene of carnage was what the army had expected to come upon despite trying to hustle it. Several had braced themselves for the immediate smell of smoke and blood once the blush flash faded and they were within walking distance of the town.

So, imagine the surprise when no one smelled any of that. Nor did anyone see the town enveloped in flames akin to Akkala Citadel. While there was smoke rising, it wasn't from within the town, but outside of it. Even with the earlier report, it was far less than what anyone had predicted. Not to mention the destruction was ridiculously low compared to predictions. As the unit were met by the town mayor, they learned the reason why, and it had left everyone shocked to their core to say the least.

"Mirajane Strauss, I believe she is the She-Demon that attacked Akkala Citadel…and she is the woman that defended our town. Defended us." This was the third time the mayor had repeated this, and his resolve hadn't waved yet, even under the shocked and outraged blowback his statement had caused. At first, no could believe it. The second time he repeated it, some thought he was joking. Here at the third time, it was beginning to sink in. Or it was for some. The mayor wasn't alone in his statement, the rest of the townsfolk stood by him, having seen the She-Demon's supposed heroism with their own eyes.

Link found himself focusing on the name they repeatedly used for her, Mirajane. Not merely addressing her as a nameless force or horrible monster, but as a person. A person they knew, and a person they were vouching for in the face of the army and the queen, the latter of whom was just as confused as the rest of them. At the very least she wasn't furiously shouting down the mayor's statement. As he expected, Zelda was taking in the information and trying to process it, although he could see she was having a tough time doing so. It was like asking her to consider the possibility that the Calamity Ganon had a secret good side, or the Yiga could be convinced to drop their vendetta against Hyrule. As he watched her process the information, she looked up, catching his gaze as well. They fell into another one of their silent conversations.

She was taking the mayor's words with a grain of salt, but she was still believing them. Her belief was partially borne out of reports he'd given her. Link himself remembered the way the battle with the She Demon in Rito Village had ended. The kindness he'd seen forced its way to the forefront of his mind and began playing like an image projected from a Sheikah Slate. There was no pause button, not that there was a need to, the images played on an endless loop. Each time, they seemed to grow more intense. Link could feel his gut trying to tell him something, though that something was running into hard disagreements with his logical bound mind.

The clash in Rito Village had been his last with the She Demon, and it was one battle he wasn't going to forgot. His intent to settle things there hadn't panned out, and instead the village came dangerously close to being wiped out. Luckily, it hadn't, and the safety of its citizens was not due entirely to him but the creature he'd been fighting. Two young Rito children, saved by the female demon, and then the two Acolytes who'd taken hostages were knocked down by her. Link remembered the look in her eyes as she came back into his sights.

He saw no evil in her, none of the previous murderous malice that had been her entire being. What he saw was…something else. That look of eerie calmness on her face gave away nothing. It almost seemed like she was putting up a mask of indifference, yet some part of her inner self was freeing itself. He mused over the prospect of an inner self as the mayor began the story once again, much to the frustration and continued awe of listeners. Without a word, Link left, feeling that he'd heard enough.

Everyone was still talking when he left, or rather, trying to talk over each other. It was no surprise everyone had something to say, a question, a theory, and a rebuke to them all. Link knew he should have been a part of it, but he found he just didn't have the strength to engage in the conversation.

Maybe it's just you don't have the strength to standup for your own opinion. Grumbled a treacherous voice within his subconscious. Link felt his hands tighten at the subconscious accusation.

"Y-You…you're…" His stream of thought was halted by the voice if the woman in front of him. "You're Link, you're really him."

He recovered fast enough to give a small wave. "Yep, that's me. I showed up because I heard there was a demon problem. A…complicated one." Near immediately, he saw a reaction in the woman. Her green eyes lit up with relief, and concern. The two emotions battled it out as she waited for him to elaborate. "Miss, do you know anything about it? Link asked half already knowing the answer. She gave a silent nod, yet remained on guard-on guard of him. That solidified an idea that had been forming in his head since he'd heard the mayor tell them what had happened. "Miss, if possible, I'd like to hear your story. You know something about the She-"

"Her name is Mirajane." The brunette interrupted. While not hostile, Link detected some defensiveness in her voice.

Mirajane, He repeated in his mind. That's an unusual name, but then again, I'm pretty sure she's not from around here. Finally, he had a name to put to the face-a face that haunted him, yet recently had also begun to mystify him. That mystification was undoubtedly going to continue as he dug deeper into her background. Whatever of it he could find. "Please, if there's anything you can tell me about her anything that…anything that can help, tell me. I promise, I'll listen."

She stared at him with hope intermixed with suspicion. It wasn't an expression Link was foreign to. When he woke up and began rediscovering Hyrule, he'd ran into a lot of it from the locals. They had no idea who he was or how he could help them solve whatever problem they were facing. On top of that, they were also suspicious of why he was doing it in the first place. He didn't begrudge them for that; now, as his name and reputation were known far and wide, he imagined he should have felt slighted that this woman was giving him that same look. That said, Link didn't hold anything against her. She knew the She-Demon, Mirajane, far better than he or anyone else in Hyrule did. She knew her as a person who was opposite of everything she'd been to the country at large.

Link wanted to know that person, even if he still wound up having to fight her. Was that setting himself up for heartbreak of some sort? Was he opening up a path to handling this situation without someone having to die? He didn't know, but as the woman accepted his words, he decided that this was the path he would walk down, to whatever conclusion awaited him.

The woman's name was Helen, and as it turned out, she'd been the one to save Mirajane from a watery grave. Link had admittedly did a doubletake hearing that she'd been found being washed away in the river amidst a storm. He couldn't help but wonder how in the hell had that happened? Everything he and the army had thrown at her, and it was a stormy river that almost did her in?

Of course, as Helen went on to explain, Mirajane wasn't quite in her right mind. That likely explained how she ended up nearly being washed away in the first place. That bit of the story further fueled the curiosity that was already burning bright like a bonfire within him.

Helen's home bore fresh signs of battle. Natural given that the Acolytes of Ganon had literally showed up at her door. They'd came to "reclaim" Mirajane, and were fully willing to give violent when she refused. Based on what the brunette told him, some of them seemed downright eager to bring her back as violently as possible. Link was unsurprised there, but where he was lay in Mirajane's reaction.

She protected Helen. She used her magic to protect her and get her to safety, then fought the Acolytes herself, all by herself.

"R-Really?" He found himself dumbfoundedly asking.

"Yes, and frankly, I fully believe she'd have beaten them all if those bastards hadn't cheated." Helen pressed with annoyance on her face. "I may not be a sorceress, but I know strong magic when I see it, and she had the strongest sorcery I think I've ever seen. Regardless of its type."

"Take Over." Link repeated, leaning forward in his seat. The living room had been spared a bulk of the fighting, that honor went to the front hallway and the front yard of her home. "That's what she called her magic?"

Helen nodded. "I know it was some form of dark magic, but Sir Link, I swear by the goddesses, it wasn't evil. She used it to protect me, and this was after she'd used it to save the mayor's boys."

It was his turn to nod. "Yeah, he…told us about it. He told us that she used her magic to save his son and his friends." Another piece of the puzzle came together in his mind. This Mirajane wielded a dark magic called Take Over; based on the name, he assumed it was some form of mimicry. In this case, the mimicry was that of a demon. Zelda would love to hear this, she'd probably be able to make more sense of it than me. Contrary to the thought, he believed he was comprehending it pretty well despite being no expert on magic. "She used it to fight off the Acolytes. Was she winning?"

"From what I could see, absolutely." A heavy-hearted sigh came at the end of the response. Link could venture a guess as to what she was about to say next. "I…I can't help but feel like she couldn't beat them because of us. Those bastards would have destroyed the whole town if she didn't surrender."

He immediately thought back to Rito Village, to the children Mirajane saved. The realization hit him like a Goron's hammer. She's…she's being controlled. She's been managing to resist their control until she outright broke it, and when she did the Acolytes came to get her back. Even though he had no absolute confirmation of it, his gut told him that was the truth. But would the others believe me? Pipped up the skeptic in him. It was perfectly valid, and something he had to consider before going forward with this.

"One of the Acolytes used some kind of earth-based magic. It included…urgh, worms." Her disgusted face told Link that these worms weren't the common sort. He could already feel his stomach churning in disgust. "I…I think his name was Bellfield."

Link looked toward the ceiling with a furrowed brow. The name didn't ring any bells, but maybe Zelda might have recognized it. Times like this he cursed still not having all his memories from a hundred years ago. Then again, it was possible that this Bellfield hadn't been there a century ago during Calamity Ganon's original attack. This seemed to be a newer generation of Acolytes, complete with potentially a new grandmaster replacing Astor from a hundred years ago.

Wait a minute, why don't I just try looking him up? His hands went to his Sheikah slate, the blue stonelike device lighting up as he began pulling up the enemy database. "Try looking through these images and tell me if you see him." He said handing the woman the slate. "It's been regularly updated, and includes some…information not exactly privy to the public."

"Well, you are the queen's personal knight and the kingdom's finest warrior. I imagine there's quite a few things you know that the rest of us don't, and maybe are better off not knowing."

"Heh, I can't exactly say you're wrong." He humorously admitted. It got a laugh out of the redhead, lighting the mood. It was the first time such a thing had occurred between him and Helen. Link took the time she used to search the data base to once again gather his thoughts. A sense of excitement had begun to swell within him. It was the same feeling he had adventuring through the wild-that sense of adventure that came with learning something new, and potentially helpful. He knew he was on the cusp of that now. Link had to quietly remind himself that what he learned he'd have to share with the whole army. It wasn't just him, not anymore.

Just like how you're not just the She-Demon anymore, Mirajane. The stray thought was a leaf blown by the wind. Link followed it as it danced about in front of him, then sailed onward. He felt like he wanted to reach out and catch it.

"Him! This guy here!" Came Helen's voice, once again pulling him from his inner thoughts. Looking up, his eyes zeroed in on the image of a bald man displayed on the slate. "Even though he was wearing a hood, I recognize his face; this is definitely him."

To be specific, the image was more of a drawing-the drawing of a wanted poster. Link had seen a few of them during the Pre-Calamity Days, but it was only after his slumbering recovery did he see more of them. His mouth formed into a small, straight line as he read the information listed on the man. "Liam Bellfield, approximately five-ten, known crimes include…violent assault, violent theft, extortion, rape, kidnapping…yeah, this kind pretty much fits the profile for an Acolyte of Ganon."

Helen held a visibly grim face. She likely didn't read the full description, only stopping once she saw the man's face-she was lucky in that regard. "I take it they're all like that, or at least most of the Acolytes? I've heard the horror stories about the Calamity Ganon, including in one lifetime he was a bandit warlord."

Link nodded, remembering those ancient yet telling records of Hyrule's greatest enemy. They'd been collaborated by the Gerudo, who held similar records in their own libraries. Understandably, they weren't proud of them, more so than they were ashamed of their own thieving past. In fact, it'd been Ganon, or rather Ganondorf's, overwhelming malicious criminal actions that had helped sway them away from the path of crime. "Bellfield fits the profile. The Acolytes are…well, they're a varied bunch, but make no mistake they're all evil."

"They'd have to be to follow an abomination like that thing that haunted Hyrule Castle." The redhead bemoaned.

Link thought about telling her that amongst the Acolytes numbers included a handful of knights. It was something the Hyrulean Army was deeply ashamed of, but it'd been the case a century ago. He chose not to, probably for the sake of his own knightly pride as well as for the sake of the army's. "Okay, that's one more face we can be on the look out for." After a minute, he had the bald man committed to memory, despite how much a part of him didn't want to. "Can you identify any other Acolytes that attacked your home?" He handed the slate back to her and watched as she began swapping through the faces. While she did, Link laced his fingers together. He felt them trembling with anticipation. There was a part of him that wanted nothing more than resume the hunt, but not for the She-Demon anymore.

"Link? Link? Oh, I'm sorry, um, is Link there?"

Surprised, he found himself being given back his Sheikah Slate, a call from Zelda herself having taken up the screen. Upon seeing his face, he saw the noticeable relaxation of her face. He had ducked out and disappeared seemingly to nowhere while they were trying to put the pieces together regarding this latest attack, not a good look for the queen's strongest knight. He supposed he was lucky that Zelda was so lenient with him. "I'm here, Zelda. Sorry about that. I…" his eyes rose to Helen. Without saying a word, she realized what he was about to ask and nodded in acceptance of his unspoken request. "I've found a lead, one that has some information on the She-Devil that you need to hear."

"Really? Excellent! I'll be right over!" He chuckled at the excitement in her voice, something that didn't go unnoticed by the owner of the house about to receive a royal visit.

"She's just as excitable as I've heard." Helen remarked with a smile.

"You have no idea. When it comes to learning new information, she's like a fire bomb about to go off." He spoke with a smile. A part of him almost wanted Helen to witness Zelda's scholarly enthusiasm first hand. "She'd love to talk to Mirajane herself."

"What about you?" The Helen asked. "I've heard that you two have fought before, but…you've been pretty calm about this so far. Not that I'm complaining." She quickly added. Link saw her focus was now entirely on him; he'd guess that she had her own questions regarding him. He wasn't reacting the way a typical soldier would have-denying her story and simply demanding any information on Mirajane so he could find her and kill her.

He genuinely wondered if he'd have done exactly that a hundred years ago-the old him. The human that was particularly more…rigid than he was nowadays. Speaking of the old days, Link was certain that if they'd succeeded in stopping Ganon and stomping out the Acolytes, they wouldn't be dealing with this mess. Conversely, if he'd actually died back then, he wouldn't be dealing with any of this. Matter of fact, Hyrule would be a decimated hellhole ruled over by a giant pig monster.

Hearing the faint but growing sounds of footsteps and rapid breathing, he turned to the door. While he didn't sense any hostile intent, he remained on guard none the less. Seeing his response, Helen looked to the doorway as well. She visibly reacted as the visitor literally came bursting in.

"Helen!" Having been around many Zora, Link was able to immediately identify the newcomer's animalistic base-a tiger shark. His black stripes sharply stood out against his livid-colored body. While he was almost as tall as Sidon, he possessed far more muscle than the Zora Prince, soon-to-be king. Link supposed that was natural given his species.

Like Sidon though, his eyes shimmered with concern for his loved ones. That concern changed to relief as he laid eyes on Helen, who he quickly rushed toward. A smile grew on the knight's face watching the Zora and Hylian embrace one another. Only a fraction of the Zora's potentially great strength was brought up to hug Helen, but it carried with it a deep love that was fully recuperated.

A part of him demanded he look away, and that's somewhat what he did. It wasn't out of some sense of respect, it was pain-filled envy. Of course. Just my luck I ran into a human and a Zora couple. Link wished he could have kept the envious sorrow out of his voice, but he couldn't. At the very least he wasn't vocalizing it. All his feels he hid behind a smiling mask. It wasn't like he wasn't genuinely happy for the couple-he most definitely was. It's just…seeing them more than trudged up some old memories for him. At one point, those memories had been lost to him; when he finally got them back, he felt like he'd committed a sin in forgetting them. What kind of person forgot the woman they loved? The woman that they wanted to spend the rest of their life with?

An even better question, how did a person deal with feelings like this? This envy? This longing?

Luckily for him, the newcomer had an answer for him. "A-Ah, this is the legendary Link, Champion of Hyrule?" He remarked finally laying eyes on him. In response, Link merely gave a slight wave.

"Yep, quite a house guest, huh? The second one in a row." Helen confirmed with a jubilant laugh. "Galeoco, this is Sir Link-"

"Just Link is fine." He interrupted. "It's an honor to meet you."

"The honor is mine. Prince Sidon and His Highness have spoken highly of you. A part of me always hoped to meet you in the flesh, but…this is unexpected to say the least." The tiger shark commented returning his handshake. Withdrawing his hand, he looked back at the front door, noting the damages that stretched out to the front yard. His gaze next went to Helen, eyes glazing over with worry. "Helen,"

"It's a long story, dear, but don't worry, I'm okay." She assured. As his gaze shifted back to Link, she let out another humorous laugh. "Believe it or not, but no. It's not thanks to knightly guest."

"True. She just told me about the woman responsible for saving me." He stated. "It's…well…it's a story very much connected to Hyrule's national security."

Galeoco was sharp, almost as sharp as the teeth in his mouth. "The She-Devil that's been attacking Hyrule?"

Helen's smile became somewhat crooked, and for understandable reasons. "Yeah, Galeoco, it's…complicated. You're probably going to want to sit down for this. Trust me."

"If it's not too much trouble, could you also be a little patient. You're not the only one who's going to want to hear this story." Link added.

"We have more guests coming?"

"Oh, a very special one, dear." The redhead Hylian affirmed with another giggle.

A slight smile came to the Zora's face. "Are you going to tell me or make me guess?"

"Pretty sure you can guess, Gal."

The couple found their way back to the couch, sitting directly across from Link, who filled him in on their lives. As it turned out, Galeoco was one of the many soldiers in Zora's Domain. Despite his service, he'd never crossed paths with Link, nor had Link with him. As he said, the last place he expected to meet Link was in his own home, and certainly not at a time like this.

"Life's unexpected like that." He merely offered. Though he tried not to let the sorrow of his words show, Galeoco shot him a look of sympathy. It was surprising, but Link quickly and quietly overcame that shock. What lay beyond it was a sense of happiness that his pain didn't go unnoticed-he didn't have to continue to hold it in. Link felt the muscles across his body loosen; he didn't realize that he'd been so tensed up until he felt himself relax. Getting back into the game. He inwardly mused. It wasn't something he usually thought about, but sitting before a happily married couple seemed to be bringing his comrades' words back to the forefront of his mind. And unlike previous times he wasn't beating them back.

Another set of footsteps caught his attention, coming from the exact same place. Looking down at his left hand, he felt a slight tingle in it, one that was all too familiar. A thin smile worked its way to his face.

"And here she is." He muttered.

"Link!" Shouted the former princess, now Queen of Hyrule. There was a sheen of sweat on her face and a pant in her breathing. She'd clearly rushed over here from town hall. Link wasn't surprised in the slightest. Whatever Zelda was in the middle of, she probably put an end to it as quickly as possible so she could rush on over. Time would tell if there were any consequences to that. "Link, you're…um, we're not intruding, are we?"

"Oh no, we've been waiting for you." He waved off with a casual smile.

"True, though the good news we haven't been waiting long." Helen affirmed. "Your highness, it's an honor to meet you."

"Likewise." Her husband seconded. Both he and Helen stood up and bowed to her, and to Sir Ingram, who'd arrived in tandem with the kingdom's monarch. He shot Link a tiny smile before his face slipped back into grim neutrality. "Your highness, would you fancy something to drink?"

"Oh, some tea would be nice if you don't mind." Zelda's gaze shifted between Link and Helen. The knight merely pointed to the red head in a silent answer to her unspoken question.

It was a good thing that the living room had been relatively spared most of the fighting. It was also a bonus that the living room had enough space to accommodate all of them. Two sofas, one of which he'd sat on and the other occupied by the couple. His would be occupied too by his royal charge. Ingram would take the seat to either the right or left of them. A moment later he found it was the left chair, opposite of him.

"Sounds like once again, you've had a little adventure to yourself, Link." The old warrior remarked.

"I wouldn't exactly call it an adventure, I just…I just happened to be in the right place at the right time." Looking up, he met Helen's bright green eyes, a small smile creeping onto his face. It triggered a bright and beaming one on hers. "As you'll find out, I apparently wasn't the only one."

"With all due respect, Link, I can't help but feel like that remains to be seen." Ingram remarked. Even without being told anything, his intuition was already pointing him in the right direction. At least he wasn't showing disapproval at what he saw.

Zelda frowned, no doubt because she was considering if he was right. Her investigative curiosity aside, she still had to approach things from the perspective of a leader. It was the sort of mindset that her father would have approved of, and would even have said was required of her. Link himself knew it was true, but still, he couldn't help but want to be a little optimistic. Zelda probably did too. Luckily for them, Galeoco returned a moment later carrying a tray of tea. It was a further contrast to his somewhat large and fearsome appearance. The Zora's arrival immediately lightened the mood and kept it from darkening. Link felt like it did so and was grateful for it. He was also grateful for the tea Galeoco handed out.

The warm taste of the drink hit the spot with him. Link felt like it'd been hours since he'd had anything to drink; it might have been since he couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten or drunk anything. Odds were, if it weren't for his hosts, he'd have probably gone another set of hours without doing either. His mind would have been too focused on something else until his body chose to remain of its needs.

After a long sip, Zelda looked straight at Helen. "Mrs. Martley," she started. "If you don't mind, how you know the She-Devil."

All the tension came rushing back, but this time all parties were ready for it.

"It all started about two days ago, when I was trying to get home amidst the start of a storm." The brown-haired Hylian began.

Not once had the water been disturbed, or so Link had heard. He always found that feature of the sea oddly fascinating. Even if chunks of debris and ruins broke the surface, the waves continued to ebb and flow. A fresh example could be found in the remains of Akkala Citadel, half the fortress having been blasted into the waters it overlooked, yet the sea continued on without a care.

Looking back on his memories, Link realized that he'd tried to be like that in a way. Mipha had realized it too, although she was one of the few people he let his walls come down around. She told him that he should do it more often, particularly around their fellow Champions. She'd been right, just as she'd been right about a lot of things. Link couldn't help but wonder what she would have had to say about this. Would she have made an optimistic prediction that turned out to be right?

It was impossible to know, just like it was impossible to know where Mirajane had gone. That was something that frustrated everyone, though the reasons varied.

Helen had retold the story of her finding Mirajane by the Marron River and nursed her back to health, every detail the same as when she'd told it to Link. He didn't mind hearing it again; a part of him felt like he actually needed to hear it again from the top. Some part of him that still needed to know that the demon he'd fought was a person. An amazingly kind-hearted person.

Zelda and Ingram had intensely listened in, the former letting her shock show on her face. As for the latter, as befitting of a veteran warrior, and the country's military leader, he was far more reserved. That said, Link picked up on the small smidgens of surprise that did cross his face-namely when Helen told the story of how Mirajane had rescued the mayor's son and his friends using her magic. Zelda had been surprised to hear that too. Dark magic that allowed for the mimicking of a demon, and it was controllable? Controlled by a person with so seemingly a good heart? Such a thing was practically unheard of.

"I do recall the people of the Twili, one of whom was even your ancestor, Link. A queen of theirs, none the less." Ingram had remarked. "That said, this is…Hyrule's rarely seen magic like this, and in the hands of such a strange person."

"Strange, but apparently kind person." Galeoco spoke in response. As he listened to his wife's tale, he was no doubt forming his own theories. "While I've heard of her, the woman that Helen's describing is totally the opposite."

She was…and frankly, Link wanted to meet her. Albeit he had a gut feeling that wasn't going to be happening anytime soon, and if it did, it'd be under less-than-ideal circumstances.

As the waves splashed against his feet, Link found himself reaching for his Sheikah Slate. One of the many images of the She-Demon was pulled up, but he looked at it with new eyes. He tried to imagine the snarling monster barefoot of her demonic features as Helen had seen her. He tried to imagine her with that calm expression she'd had when her apparent true self shown through at Rito Village.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd almost say you've become somewhat enamored with her."

Looking to his left, he gave Zelda a miniscule smile. He wasn't surprised to see her, and she apparently wasn't surprised to see him down on the beach. Smiling, she joined him on his left side, even discarding her boots and socks as he'd done. The ocean waves batted against her legs as they did his. Her blue eyes too searched the moonlit waters, a look of deep contemplation on her face as well. It was only matter of time before she voiced her thoughts. Maybe she wanted to wait for him to voice his, something he'd grown more comfortable in doing in this "second life".

More importantly, maybe she wanted a response to observation.

He gave it to her. "I guess…I am. As for why, I honestly don't know, but I wish I did." There were certain things he could tell her that he couldn't say to anyone else. Likewise, she could be open with him in a way she couldn't with others. That was one part of their bond-living relics from a century ago, now living in the present. He looked to her and saw sympathetic understanding, and an urging for him to continue. So he did, "I just…she's probably the strongest enemy I've ever fought barring the Calamity Ganon. But unlike it, I…I now know that…"

"She's not evil. I don't think she ever was, but she's been corrupted. Much like the Divine Beasts and the Sheik's technology were." The blonde queen correctly finished and summarized. He merely nodded, glad that she'd put into words what he felt a struggle to. "It seems that's become the hallmark of how Ganon's evil operates-corruption."

"Not too surprising. I remember an old saying that evil doesn't create, it only corrupts and destroys."

"I believe the same, and his wickedness is proof of the concept." She affirmed. Like him, her voice didn't rise in anger, though Link knew it too slumbered inside of her. Just like him, she had every reason to loath Ganon, and she most certainly did. Zelda brought her knees up, closing her arms around them. "Even though he's gone, his taint still lingers."

Link could envision a more boisterous version of himself claiming it wouldn't linger for long. Either that or another hot-blooded soldier. Outside of battle, he'd never been that type of person…barring a few exceptions. "Zelda," he began. "Based on what we heard…whatever control the Acolytes have over Mirajane isn't ironclad."

"Yes, I've realized that. I've gone over Helen's story. When she found her in the river, it seems that she was already fighting their control. It cracked, and for a time was completely broken. Link, I believe you may have played a part in her breaking free."

"Me?" He questioned.

A humorous smile bloomed on the queen's face. "Yes, you. Just as you cleansed the Divine Beasts of Ganon's corruption, I believe you did the same to this woman. Particularly using the Master Sword. After all, it is a weapon highly effective against Ganon's Malice, which I believe may have been used to corrupt her."

He silently looked at her, drinking in her words. Instead of immediate rejection, he actually considered them; Link knew that she was actually speaking several facts. The Master Sword was a holy weapon effective against the powers of evil and darkness, it was in one of its many names. What he was struggling with was if it could actually purify the evil that was controlling someone-someone like Mirajane. His "purifying" of the Divine Beasts had really just been him cutting his way through them, and numerous other Malice-infected areas across Hyrule.

"Link," came the queen's voice. Rather than her face, he looked down at her gripping his. "You can do it."

"I can do what?" he feigned.

Giggling, she gripped his hand with a bit more firmness as she clarified. "You can save her. Now that you know she's not pure evil, that she's just an innocent woman trapped in the darkness, you can save her. I know you can."

His false smile melted away leaving behind a bewildered expression in its place. Link felt the next several beats of his heart, raked with unease and doubt despite Zelda's attempted reassurance. Ultimately, he looked away, yet he didn't shake off her hand. "I…It's stupid. Ridiculous even."

"Do you really think that?" He didn't need to look back at her face to know that she had a worried expression on her face. Worry for him. "The Link I knew never turned away from helping people, and the Link I've gotten to know doesn't either."

"I think we can agree this is a little bit more of a complicated case, Zelda." Came his response. It wasn't snarky, though Zelda had rarely held those responses against him. "This person is…this person has killed countless people. I know that for a fact, she's tried to kill me. Despite knowing all that…I can't stop thinking about what I saw in Rito Village. Now, given Helen's story, I…" his head fell with a frustrated groan tumbling from his lips. "It's easier to fight an enemy when you don't know who they are. It's easier to fight someone when you think they're just evil."

"But not so much when you know they're not, that they're not even fighting for their own free will." The queen again confirmed. Link didn't say anything, but his silence still spoke for him-answered for him. "I hate situations like this. In fact, I just hate fighting in general."

"You always have, and that's not wrong. Fighting can be ugly, especially at times like this." Link replied. "Do you remember a hundred years ago the stories that floated around about some of the Acolytes? About how some of them weren't willing members but had been forced into joining? Sometimes after they'd been killed?"

She nodded with a face filled with grim recollection. Archeology had been her passion, but she also carried an interest in the magical arts. It was an inherent trait of the royal bloodline, namely those of princesses. The royal library had been stacked with books containing knowledge of all sorts of magic, including the dark arts. It was sickening some of the things that could be done with magic, and further sickening how some people took glee in doing such things. Sadly, that's how some advances in dark magic had been made in the first place-searching for new ways to hurt and control people.

Such people made up the Acolytes of Ganon. Legends went that throughout his various incarnations, the vile thief had used such magic to control and torment the dozens of Hyrule and beyond. He was a sadist, and such tended to attract those sorts of followers. They were the only ones who'd willing follow a monster like him. Link silently wondered if some of those spells had been used to take control of Mirajane Strauss.

"For what it's worth, I think she's worth saving. She's already saved a handful of lives."

Link knew that several, especially those in the army, would counterargue that she's killed far more than she's saved. If by some miracle they did free Mirajane, he knew that argument would come up.

"You know, as queen, your word counts for a lot." He tried to deflect. "Your light powers might be able to stop her, save her."

"Perhaps, but from what I've seen, this Mirajane is quite an experience combatant. Which I am most assuredly not. I doubt I'd last five minutes if she came at me as she has you."

"I could restart your combat training." He half-jokingly offered.

"Tempting, but I don't think now would be the time. You need to ensure you're in tip-top form instead of wasting your time on me." She jovially responded. "After all, you are the Champion of Hyrule."

"Yeah, I am. Meaning regardless of my personal feelings, I can't run away from this fight."

"You were never running away from it, Link. Merely considering the possibility that it won't have to end in death, not at all something to be ashamed of." Zelda assured.

He took her words to heart. Every major fight he'd been in it'd been either his death or his enemy's, who were typically some sort of monster. Not all the time though. He'd encountered the occasional bandits, some of whom proved they were wicked enough to warrant death at his hand, and he'd delivered it. He'd fully believed that would be the case here, but he was wrong.

Link stood up, his gaze remaining focused on the darkened ocean horizon. The half moon hanging above the sky was a hazy reflection on the water's surface. In a few weeks, it'd be reflecting a full moon. He couldn't shake the feeling that this needed to be wrapped up before then. Despite Ganon being gone, Link had too many memories of a blood-colored moon staining the world red and making monsters nigh unkillable. Some night shad been so bad that he found himself continuously looking up at the sky for fear that the celestial lantern had been corrupted. With Mirajane's rampages, people had begun to whisper about the possibility that the Blood Moon might come back, that it's omen might herald the return of Ganon.

Even if he was doubtful of such a thing, if there was even a sliver of a possibility it could happen, Link would stoop it out somehow. Likewise, he knew he had to confront any threat to Hyrule, no matter who or what it was, but like Zelda said maybe this could be done in a different way.

"I will try to look through the tomes we have, perhaps amongst them lies a way to free Mirajane Strauss from the Acolytes' control." She spoke.

"No." Came his immediate response. "Zelda, you're a queen. You have a job to do, one that's requiring even more of your focus now more than ever. I'll deal with this."

"Link," the queen responded in a voice tinged with worry.

His blue eyes burned with the quiet determination she'd came to know him by. It silenced her, though he wasn't sure if it availed her worries. Link would guess it probably didn't. "We've already clashed a few times, so I guess you could say I've got a personal stake in this. I feel like I've got to be the one to end it."

"You have to…or you feel that you're the only one who can end it?"

"Zelda, I think we both know the answer to that question."

The sorrow on her face deepened as he reminded her of the obvious truth. Link shot her an apologetic smile, yet one rimmed with a little bit of optimism. "I've managed to match her blow for blow before, getting a little better each time. Back in the Heba Mountains, it almost sounded like hitting her with the Master Sword's holy powers broke the Acolytes' hold on her. Knowing what I know now, I can try to focus on doing that. If not…well…I know that it's an effective weapon against her." He didn't need to say the obvious meaning of the latter half of his statement. Zelda knew it as much as he did. She knew that it was also the option that a vast majority of Hyrule would probably be in favor of. The people of Shalford though, were the exception.

Link chose to sit back down, feeling he'd made his dramatic declaration for the night. The waves had continued to beat on as he and Zelda discussed their options. It and the moon were their only witnesses; the good news was they wouldn't have to worry about the news getting out.

Sir Ingram had returned to town hall to further discuss things with the mayor, as well as oversee the rest of the troops. He'd done so knowing that the pair of blond Hylians would be having this talk.

"I'll wait until the morning to ask how you two are going to handle this. I only ask that you keep the kingdom's safety in mind. Oh, and your highness, Link, please try to get some sleep tonight." The senior knight had stressed with a bit of a humorous chuckle.

"We'll do our best." Zelda offered with a giggle. She really meant it.

He didn't know the exact time, but the lack of light on the horizon meant that daybreak was still some time away. Link could have easily looked back at his Sheikah Slate to check the actual time, but he found he just didn't have the strength for it. "One of my distant ancestors who was around back then, I wonder how he dealt with this sort of thing. He had to deal with bewitched knights while I've got a woman that's still largely an unknown."

"Well, you could probably ask her about herself if you manage to free her. Perhaps that could motivate you to rescue her. Or shall I say, motivate you even more." Zelda finished with a humorous smile. Link playfully rolled his eyes. "Link, are you ready to turn in for the night?"

"I should be asking you that." He replied.

She reached out and touched his shoulder. "Link, I'm serious. I fully believe that the Acolytes have left this village."

"If so, we could probably just teleport back home." While they could, Link knew that they probably wouldn't. Zelda was likely right, but the unit was no doubt going to stay the night and probably the next day or two in Shalford. It was better safe than sorry. Not to mention it was entirely possible that Mirajane could be sent back to raze the town that had taken her in. That sort of thing would break her spirit, and it'd wipe out the only defenders in Hyrule she might have. His hands tightened in anger at the possibility. It was such a cruel but effective option, as such, they couldn't roll it out. Looking to her, Link fully believed that Zelda had considered the possibility too. If she does come back…well, I'll be able to see her and try to free her. Or fail and have no choice but to kill her.

"Link," called his queen. Looking to her, he saw that she'd stood up, her hand stretched out to him.

"Right, time to call it a night." He admitted, taking her hand, and giving it a squeeze as he rose. "We'll see what tomorrow holds in store for us."

They looked out to the sea on last time before turning their backs to it. Still no sign of sunrise on the horizon, only darkness. Though sleep was their goal, Link genuinely wondered how much of it he and Zelda would end up getting tonight. He certainly wondered that about himself. The only certainty that Link felt he had was that when his head hit the pillow, whenever that was, he was still going to be thinking about the white-haired woman whom he now knew the name of. A woman he could now see as more than just a demon.

Kakariko Village, Three Weeks Later…

"Ahem, everyone, if I may have your attention for a moment!" The second Link asked for it, he got it. There were times when he had to call a couple of times to get it; his meals were just that good and people were that engrossed in eating them. It was something that Link took great pride in. There were other things that he took pride in though, like his ability to pass that culinary skill onto others, as he'd done with the young gray-haired Sheik beside him.

From the moment he'd laid eyes on Spion, he'd been able to tell the boy was a nervous wreck. Understandable since this village-wide dinner was going to be the first true test of his cooking skills. The ten-year-old had already shown himself to be a chef in the making, but he didn't believe himself to be. That's where his family, friends, and fellow villagers, Link included, came in. Happily so, in their collective opinion.

Link knew the feeling all too well. He supposed he was lucky that he had amnesia when he started cooking, otherwise he doubted that he'd have found the courage to share his cooking with others. Fittingly, Kakariko Village had been where he'd begun sharing his cooking; it was there he'd gotten his first five stars so to speak. Based on the faces of the rest of the villagers, Spion was about to receive the same.

Following a deep breath, he stepped forward, his heart undoubtedly pounding like a drum. A thin sheen of sweat was visibly on his face, just like one was when Link had been in his position.

"As several of you know, I've taken on several students in various fields, but I'm proud of those who've I've taken under my culinary wing." He began in a confident and affectionate voice. Across the massive table, he saw several of his young students just barely contain their prideful joy. Their focus shifted toward one of their own, who stood at his left side. "Amongst them, there's one in particular whom I'm especially proud of. He played a major part in helping prepare this meal that you've all enjoyed. That chef in the making is Spion Kayano!"

In stepping back, he allowed the young Sheik to be the center focus. He kept his cool as he gave a modest bow to those sitting at the table. As he did, he was given a rumbling applause from everyone, everyone. Link saw the boy tremble in joy, the excitement running through him like a bolt of lightning. Craning his head back, he shot Link the most gratitude-filled smile he'd ever worn on his face. He returned it with a wink and smile.

Looking back out at the table, he took heart in the array of joyful expressions all directed toward Spion. Of note were those of his friends, some fellow cooks like him. In this moment, they acknowledged him as the best of their group, and they were no doubt quite grateful for it. Equally his friends' joy was his family's. Link looked to the rest of the Kayano Family, all beaming with pride at Spion's achievement. Perhaps chief amongst them were his older brother Takakuni, and older sister Tamiko. The pair beamed at him with all the pride of older siblings. He saw Spion look to him and their parents, tears of joy falling from his eyes.

A minute later and Spion wiped them away. "Alright, then, everyone, who's ready for dessert?" He called. A chorus of yeses went up, practically shaking the table and the dining hall. "Great, because we'll be serving my special fruit pie!" The chorus of approval grew even louder, practically shaking the entire building.

"Think we best go back and get the pies sliced up and handed out." Link whispered to his young co-chef.

"Yeah!" The young Sheikah agreed. Gone was any trance of his prior nervousness. Link was happy as he looked quite better without it. Grinning, he walked beside him back to the kitchen where their freshly baked pies sat on the counter, ready to be served. "Guess it's a good thing no one tried sneaking in." Spion snickered.

Link smirked remembering the numerous times that he'd caught someone or something trying to sneak into the kitchen, lured by the smell of delicious food. In the case of the former, it'd often been people, children included, unable to control their appetites. Spion had never been among them, but several of his friends were a different story.

Moments later they returned to the dining hall, carrying several plates of fruit pie that they began giving out. Within seconds, they were dug into by the Sheikah and Hylian guests. Link felt his pointed ears twitching in joy at the familiar yet still cherished sounds.

Heading back to the main cake, he briefly locked eyes with Spion again. A silent understanding passed between them, solidified with a mutual nod. Link stuck to the right side of the table while Spion took the left, where his family sat. The faces of his parents, his uncle and aunt, cousins, and especially his brother and sister, lit up with joy.

In a breach of what one would call proper edict, the spiky-haired older brother grabbed his little brother and brought him into a quick hug, also praising him for making sure he got his strawberries.

If there was one thing known about Takakuni Kayano besides his fighting ability, it was his love for strawberries. He loved them the same way the Yiga loved their mighty bananas. In fact, he was more than willing to declare strawberries superior to them, a proclamation the Yiga reportedly hadn't taken kindly to. Considering how Takakuni felt about the traitorous clan, he more than welcomed them to challenge his opinion with their blades.

They'd be finding out how sharp his sword was eventually.

As Hyrule began to rebuild as a nation, the Sheik had decided that they wanted to play an active part in it. Namely the younger generation. Their idea of playing an active role though closely aligned to their ancestors. Or, in Link's view, the role played by Impa and a handful of her fellow Sheik a hundred years ago. That was the last time that the clan had sent warriors to the frontlines. Now, a hundred years later, warriors like Takakuni were formally joining the Hyrulean Army. The latter of which was finally rising from the ashes after the crushing defeat it suffered against the Calamity a century ago.

Link remembered that time all too well. There'd only been a handful of Sheik back in those days. Amongst them, Impa had undoubtedly been the best, and she'd been less of a soldier and more of a personal bodyguard to the princess. Takakuni and his fellow Sheik wouldn't be playing that role though; some of them flat out didn't want to.

They wanted to be there in the thick of the fighting, a sentiment that Link could sympathize with. Namely, several of them wanted to be there fighting against the Yiga instead of avoiding them as their parents' generation did. Even some of the reformed Yiga wanted to confront their former clansmen in battle.

It wasn't surprising that none of them were there at this feast. Word had spread it was specifically for Sheik joining the army. Even if they'd defected from the Yiga clan, the defectors were still seen as Yiga-as traitors.

Returning to the kitchen, Link set eyes on one of the many pies that he and Spion had made. They weren't for the clansmen outside in the dining hall, but for the former Yiga. Some people have enjoyed the idea of food delivery, but when it meant missing out on a big get together like this, there was little to be enjoyed about it.

At least they'll have each other. It felt like cold comfort, but Link told himself it was something. The good news was that the Yiga defectors numbered in the dozens. Last he heard they were in the fifties. He hoped that the number went up, and that in time they found acceptance.

"Hey, Link, you're thinking about them, aren't you? Guaba and the others." Blinking, he turned around to find Spion staring at him. Rather than try to lie his way out, he gave a small smile of admission. The young Sheik smiled back, "I want to bring them their pie, but…you know how my family is. Especially Takakuni, and Tamiko."

"I know. I'll tell them that you sent your best." He assured. "They'll appreciate it, trust me. They always do." Kneeling to his level, he gently patted his on the shoulder. "Kado especially."

Spion smiled at the thought of the former Yiga spearman. Like him, Link liked to now consider him a Sheikah spearman. Like Takakuni, he also had a taste for strawberries, thus explaining the extra strawberry fruit pies he'd fixed. "I hope one day he and the others will be here at this dining hall."

"They will…one day. One day." His words were solemn, but he believed them. He truly did believe that one day, the former Yiga clansmen would find acceptance, but he knew for certain it would take time. People didn't just forget past wrongs overnight. His mind flashed to the image of a certain white-haired woman, a woman that he hadn't seen in almost a month. A question he'd been asking himself for that long stretch of time popped into his head.

"Hey, you two wouldn't happen to have any more pieces of pie?" Came a cry from the dining hall.

"Oi, don't you go stuffing yourself! Especially before everyone else has gotten seconds!"

"I'm starting us off on seconds!"

"Kaku, if you start on your seconds, there won't be any left for the rest of us!"

Smiling at the chorus of laughter and comedic arguing, Link grabbed the knife and sliced up a few more still hole pies. "Ready?"

"Yeah! Come on, let's go before someone gets the idea to sneak back here." Spion chuckled. He grabbed two plates and promptly rushed out. As Link left the kitchen he came rushing back in to grab two more plates and bring them out.

Glancing back at the head of the table, he smiled at the sight of Impa and Paya, both busy still dining on their first pieces of cake. From what Link saw, they were going to be ordering their second slices any time now. Sensing his gaze, they looked up and flashed him grins that all but confirmed his suspicion.

It's a good thing we prepared plenty of pie. Then again, you can never prepare too much pie. The Hylian thought to himself as his young co-chef raced by. Just before disappearing into the back kitchen again, he looked back at the dining hall, the cherry mood still going strong as it had the moment guests had started to arrive. Even if a part of him still waited on edge, he was glad that this dinner had been able to go off without a hitch. No interruptions of any sort-just a nice night of celebrations. It was just what several, including Link himself had hoped for.

All that said, a part of him still couldn't shake off a certain feeling. A feeling of unease and longing that had been plaguing him for roughly the last month.

With an influx of new residents, Kakariko Village had grown. While still a mountain side establishment, it was noticeable larger than it had been a year ago when Link first came upon it. Amongst those new residents had been Yiga Clan defectors.

Naturally, they lived apart from the rest of the villagers.

The "Yiga District" hadn't entirely been built from the ground up. Years ago, the villagers had built up some small infrastructure in the area. After putting up a few homes and storehouses the drive had died off leaving the area unfinished and for the most part abandoned. The Yiga defectors had quickly taken to sprucing it up, even taking some pride in doing so.

It wasn't all that different from the rest of the village, a design decision that had been met with praise and disdain. The latter had been quite vocal for a little while, but things had eventually quieted down. That also went for outsiders coming to harass the defectors. Many of them took it in silence, a handful even stating it was light compared to what they could have received. Many agreed that they were getting off light compared to the crimes that their clan had committed over the centuries.

Bringing his food cart to a stop before the seemingly mundane manor, Link shouted. "Hey, your food's here, everyone! First come first get the best!" His voice rolled across the town like an echo in a cave. What activity there was came to a sudden halt as his words registered in the citizens' minds.

The front door of the manor swung up revealing a relatively young but muscular man, seemingly no older than Link. Physically speaking at least. His apparent young age made it all the more surprising that he was the leader of the Yiga defectors, but Link knew that looks could be deceiving, particularly when it came to leadership positions. That said, the slightly ornate black and white yukata the man wore stood out amongst the solid black of the rest of his entourage. All of it contrasted the varying shades of white and grayness of their hair, the greatest link they shared with their Sheik counterparts.

"Right on time." Link chuckled with him as he walked toward him, the others following closely behind him. While giddy with excitement, they were still respecting their leader. The sense of order collapsed as he looked back at them with his chestnut-colored eyes and grinned at them. Immediately, the rogue Yiga broke apart and swarmed the food cart, everyone grabbing at their meal, or what they thought was their respective meal. "How'd the dinner go?"

"Without a hitch." The Hylian answered. It didn't need to be said that he wished the former Yiga could have been there. A few that walked by looked at him and smiled, happy that the Sheikah warriors' celebratory dinner had go undisturbed. If it had, people would have immediately pointed fingers at them for obvious reasons. "Now then, Guaba, it's your turn to celebrate. I heard that you guys had a sparring against Captain Tatius and his men, and won."

"Barely, but we pulled it off. I always knew that axe of his wasn't a joke, but damn, I had no idea it could hit that hard." The ninja remarked with a slight grin on his face. It told Link all he needed to know-despite the danger, Gauba had undoubtedly enjoyed the fight with Hyrule's "Greatest Axman". He'd very much felt the same way when he traded blows with the towering redhead. "It was…also nice to have someone just praise our skill and leave it at that."

The reforming Hyrulean Army had been formed from many walks of life. Ingram and his men had originally been mercenaries before they returned to their ancestral homeland to serve as their forefathers had. Then there were those like Tatius Barbato, mercenaries drawn by stories and reputation. He had quite a reputation himself before coming to Hyrule from the west. His joining of the army had been a hell of a recruitment boost, not to mention boost to the army's overall fighting strength.

Gauba's smile grew as Link pulled out a specially wrapped package with his name written on it. His cool demeanor broke apart as he licked his lips in eager anticipation for the pastry that he'd been longing for. It could be prepared by none greater than Link, with some help from Spion.

He quickly unwrapped it and pulled the lead off the container to reveal the still fresh salted honey pie, the cream whiff on top still standing, if a little smushed. Gauba took a long, whiff of the enchanting smell that reached up to his lips. "Ahhh…just the thing to close out the night."

"You got that right! Din's Fire, Spion really outdid himself this time!" Chuckling, Link turned to his right, catching sight of another former Yiga clansman. His normally gruff, scarred face was lit up in joy as she took a whiff of the strawberry fruit pie that had been personally prepared for him. His red eyes looked up at him, the pale scar running down the left side of his face looking much less frightening than it usually did. "Hey, Link…"

"Spion sends his best, which I'm sure he included in the note." The blond kindly answered.

"You didn't toss it away, did ya', Kado?" Came the mocking chuckle of one of his clansman.

"I got it, I got it." The spearman snorted. His lips quickly curved into a soft smile as he pulled the hand written note out of the package. While Link didn't know what it said, he was sure that it was best wishes to Kado and the rest of the former Yiga. Spion was kind in that way, and his kindness didn't go unnoticed or unappreciated by the reforming criminals. "Give the kid my thanks the next time you see him."

Thanks from Kado, and the rest of us." Gauba added, shooting his friend a warm smile. "Link, I know that you've already been part of one feast, but would you mind sticking around for another? I can't make any promises on table manners-"

"Hey! What the hell, boss!"

"But we'll do our best."

"Heh, I don't mind sticking around. It's not like I've got any major plans for tomorrow except for riding out for Castle Town in the afternoon." That drew the attention of a handful of the clansmen around him. Link had a feeling that he'd just implanted the idea into their heads. Looking back to Gauba, he saw a flash of curiosity in his eyes.

"Something's still on your mind, right? Or shall I say, the She-Demon is still on your mind." He whispered to her as they walked toward the dining hall. Unlike the Sheik, the Yiga defectors took their meal in a more decentralized manner. Though they hung around the manner to talk and converse with each other, there was no dining at the massive table that adorned the manor's dining hall. Gauba and Link could have taken the whole table for themselves, but the former guided him to a more private room, one with a window's view of the moon. Upon seeing it, Link couldn't help but turn his focus to the full moon outside.

"Yeah, I have been." He spoke in response to Gauba's earlier observation. He'd been spot-on, as he normally was. "It's been three weeks since Shalford and not a peep. Every week that's passed, I've been a little more on edge."

"Frankly, Link, you're not the only one. A demon fights it out with the Acolytes of Ganon and then total silence for three damn weeks. It's a long ass fuse…but it's still burning."

"I know, Gauba, I know."

"I hate it."

"Heh, that's because you're impatient." The Hylian sniped.

While the former outlaw made a face, he didn't exactly deny his statement. After all, it was a well-known fact that Gauba disliked waiting; ironic given his attempt to mend bridges with the Sheik was requiring a lot of patience on his part. "Link, I heard the stories…the stories about how the She-Demon actually defended Shalford. Since this is the first time we've really had a chance to talk to each other, I'll-"

"It's true. She did."

Gauba's face morphed into one of surprise. Despite his suspicions, it seemed that he really hadn't been expecting such a blunt answer. Link took a casual bite of his fruit pie while Gauba absorbed the new.

"It's a long and complicated story." He offered. "I still don't know all the details…but I know that she's a human, one with some kind of powerful dark magic."

"That certainly explains why the Acolytes have been after her." A short pause followed as his face darkened. "And the Yiga too."

Unlike Mirajane, the Yiga hadn't gone completely dormant. Scattered reports had continued to trickle in involving attacks by them. Raids on villages and military camps-more of the domestic terrorism that they'd spent the last several centuries indulging in. Little had changed, and that was part of what worried everyone, Link included. Practically everyone could tell that something big was coming, but what that something was, no one had any idea. And that's precisely what kept people like him on edge, even when they seemed to be relaxing.

"So, this Mirajane woman, what do you know about her?" Gauba asked, having seemingly recovered his wits.

Link hung his head with an exhausted sigh. "Not much. It's not like I've met her outside of her trying to kill me."

"And yet you've been pretty obsessed with her." Gauba humorously countered. Link groaned, making the former Yiga warrior laugh even more. "What, you think even with the scary demon wings, tail, and death glare she's kind of cute? I've had my men say the same thing, so it's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Okay, I'm not interested her in that way. It's just…" His grip on his fork tightened, practically to the point Link felt like he'd accidentally snap it in half. "I made a promise to someone that I'd save her."

"Link," Gauba began in a sympathetic tone. "You know that's probably not a promise you should have made. You or Zelda."

"Yeah, Gauba, I know-we know." He measly replied. At least it could be said that only a handful knew about the promise. Namely him, Zelda, Sir Ingram, and of course the Martleys. Now, that group included Gauba; thankfully, none of them had to worry about him telling everyone about it.

The younger man gave the Hylian a long, hard stare. In turn, Link stared back, not saying a word; he felt like he honestly didn't know what to say. On some level, he agreed with Gauba. He really shouldn't have made that promise to Helen, but he had. Maybe it'd been the way she'd looked at him, those pleading eyes and that voice that begged for him to save someone she cared about. Link had been the recipient of it before…namely from several Zora including Sidon. He'd literally thought of the young Zora asking him to protect his big sister the last time they saw one another before the battle against Calamity Ganon. His father had asked him much the same.

That crushing sense of failure that came with his memories had returned to him. Striking his chest like Sagittarius' arrow.

His grief must have been visible on his face. "Link," came Gauba's calming voice. Realizing he'd been looking up at his lap, he turned his gaze upward, finding the former Yiga sitting before him, plate to the side. His gaze was like a cackling fire, mesmerizing Link. "For the kindness you've shown me and my people, we will follow you and her highness on whatever path you choose. We have faith that whatever it may be, whatever actions you may take, it will be in the best interest of Hyrule." His head fell low as he bowed to the blond knight.

Link's breath caught in his throat at the show of loyalty. It was yet another sight he never would have imagined a century ago, a Yiga clansman giving him his unwavering support, and finishing it with such a respectful bow. A century ago…

"Gauba," he spoke before bowing his head as well. "Thank you, and I pray when the time comes, we…I make the right decision."

"For what it's worth…I have faith that you will." Gauba further affirmed.

Slowly, a smile spread along Link's face. The unease lingered, but instead of spreading through him, it was beaten back. He allowed the feeling to utterly wash over him instead of fighting it. A part of him hadn't wanted to, the part of him that wanted to believe whoever Mirajane Strauss was, she could still be saved.

Looking inside, he realized that once again, he for whatever reason wanted to save this woman despite knowing so little about her. It was the same thing he'd been pondering for the last month, and Link had a feeling he was going to keep on pondering it until she appeared again, and gave him another opportunity to try. More than likely while trying to kill him and everyone around him.

That's what he'd thought of the nights after Shalford, including now. He thought of the possibility when he eventually returned home and began to get ready for bed. Just before lying down, he checked his Sheikah Slate for any updates as he always did. Staring down at the screen, he knew he was half-hoping for an alert or emergency call to come through.

As had been the case in the last month, nothing.

On one hand, that was good, but on the other, Link felt it further fueled his anxiety.

"Mirajane Strauss," he whispered for the umpteenth time. "Where are you?"

This chapter took forever to get out for too many reasons to list. I regret it, but it's finally here. Not too much action since that was last chapter. As I said in the author's notes at the end of it, Mirajane's found a support base and this chapter was meant to examine the aftermath of her defending of Shalford. Obviously, it's tough to accept for everyone, but I've dropped a snippet for Link to go on that made him willing to hear Helen's defense of her. I chose this chapter to explore his confusion and anxiety as he finds himself in a situation not quite like any he's ever been in, but with some familiarities. It's not easy making a promise to save someone, especially someone who's become public enemy number one and is threatening your homeland.

I jumped ahead in time this chapter as I had some new ideas for this story, particularly it's length. Though I had a pretty solid layout, over the time I've given some more thought to it and had some ideas that I've decided to incorporate, some of which came from Tears of the Kingdom.

Let me get this off my chest by saying I'm one of the few who found it to be somewhat on the disappointing side. Personally, I found it to be a continuation of Breath of the Wild with little added onto it, and more importantly, some story elements dropped from it like the Sheik technology and Champions in favor of the Zonai and Sages. The latter of which was an element that made the game feel like a retelling of Ocarina of Time, and not particularly what I'd call a good one given the game's wonky approach to storytelling via memories, again. I'll leave my complaints at that unless any of you want to personally ask me for more. As for this story, I will be incorporate a few elements from Tears, but don't' expect anything major; to be specific, don't expect things like the Secret Stones (that's really what they went with?) or the Zonai to play as major roles as they did in Tears. Maybe a few references, but nothing major. This story has a set path that I'll be sticking to, and that story more directly builds off Breath of the Wild.

Alright, with that out of the way, I will say that the next chapter won't take almost half a year to pump out. I have plans for next chapter, and yes, Mirajane will be appearing in it. As for how…I can't exactly reveal that. All I can reveal is that the time skip the last bit of this chapter had wasn't for nothing.

Until next time, readers! Stay safe!