'All it took was a single moment to lose focus.'

"LINK!"

'A stray arrow, from some little nobody bokoblin who's probably going to be promoted far past their intended rank for this.'

"The hero of Hyrule has fallen!"

'And now I fall to my demise, to restart the cycle anew. I just hope I can get a better chance next time. Maybe I'll even get a hookshot.'

I closed my eyes waiting for the floor or the blood loss to take me from this attempt. But the distance down seemed much greater than anyone in Hyrule could have predicted. Time seemed to stretch infinitely as the dark chasm swallowed me whole.

At some point I did get bored.

"Goddesses sake, how deep is this damn hole?", I huffed as I finished tying part of my shirt to stop the bleeding from the arrow that started this mess. A mid-air meal later I had even recovered from any damage I had sustained although no amount of steamed apples were going to let me survive a fall from the colossal distance I've fallen already.

A shame really. I always knew not grabbing a fairy or two on the way to the battle was going to lead to my death one day. Zelda would be so cross with me if I wasn't leaving her on a battlefield right now.

"I wonder how much farther I'm gonna be fal-" all the air leaves my lungs as I am so rudely interrupted by the ground and everything goes black.

"What do you mean I have another one to talk to?! Didn't I just talk to that ashy demon? That was supposed to be the only appointment today!"

Ringing fills my ears as pain surges throughout my body. I instinctively curl up to ease the pain in my everything and while I would love to understand what is happening I do not have enough spoons to deal with any sort of yelling right now.

"Fine! I'll talk to him, but I'm not giving him any time powers, Me forbid I give that to two people in the same instance."

I feel her eyes lock onto me, waiting for me to get up and start talking. I wasn't sure if I could even stand so I just turned over and attempted a wave.

"Hiyah…", I said weakly.

Now that I could see her she was just a small kid with weirdly braided green hair wearing a blueish purple dress with some pink ribbons attached to her braided hair. She looked like she would get along with the Goddesses.

"Ok bud what's going on? I already used all of my 'super mysterious' lines on the last person so what are you here for?"

My face had to filled with confusion because she rolled her eyes and took out a clipboard from thin air.

"Ok so your name is Link. Seriously? What kind of name is that? Your birthday is the 2nd of the Ethereal Moon. I'm sure your parents loved getting you gifts twice in a month. And I'd ask you what you are but your pointy ears don't exactly scream human. Ok, that questionnaire is done, you're free to head back to Fódlan."

The small girl plopped down on her comically large stone throne and started drifting off to sleep. That's when I got fed up and tried to stand.

"Alright, I don't know what a Fódlan is, I don't know when the Ethereal Moon is, and I definitely don't know who you are nor how you know my name but I just fell from the longest chasm I have ever fallen from and I would appreciate it if you told me what in Din's grace was going on!"

I knew it probably wasn't fair that I had just lost my patience but falling possibly to my death and having to deal with this sassy child was way past my limit. Although she just looked nonplussed and gave me a longer look.

"Well Link, my name is Sothis. I suppose whatever happened to you before you arrived here was going to be deadly so you were sent to me. That occasionally happens to heroes in this world. Normally I get a few hundred years rest in between so it was surprising that you arrived right after another hero but I suppose time is relative.", she giggled at her own joke and continued, "Usually I just turn the clock back to the encounter of when you were supposed to die but for some reason I am unable to place you back. And while I suppose company would be nice for a change, I don't want a roommate in my throne room."

All I could do was stare back at her in shock. For the first time in a long time I had no witty quip to hit back with. I had no way back home, Zelda would have to fight off evil until she was gone, and there was no telling if I was considered dead to the Goddesses so who knows when another Link would take my place. Dread filled my very being and I wasn't sure what I could do to stop it.

"Sothis."

She seemed to be able to sense my distress and softened up.

"Yes Link?"

"If I am truly stranded in this land, I would like to at least defeat evil and save the innocent. Can you please allow me to do that?"

A small smile grew on her lips.

"The world will always need heroes Link, and if you want I will have you join the last hero I met with. Her name is Byleth. She's a bit deadpan and I don't think she knows what a joke is but she's going to be a shining light upon this land when it falls into war. Join her ranks and you will be on the side of good."

Hearing that I allowed myself to smile back somberly. While I may never see Zelda again, I can at least do what she would do. I was still able to be a hero.

"That would mean everything to me. I accept your offer."