It hurt. The pain in his shoulders and back, the constant loss of blood, and the pounding in his head. He felt absolutely horrible, and yet, none of these injuries could compare to the agony in his heart. He failed, and not only that, but it was from his own doings. The Yiga had been playing him this entire time, messing with his mind, and he, himself, was the one that allowed it to happen. He had told the assassin that he was going to start playing the game, but didn't consider the masked man had been playing far longer than he was. The assassin had been planning, prepping, and waiting. All Link had done was destroy himself, ignoring the warnings his lover had given him, and had fallen right into his enemy's trap.

He sat on his knees, staring at the monstrosity filling the tower he was stuck in. Fiery red malice continued to rise from out the hole in the sanctuary's floor, latching on to anything it touched. It spread across the pointed ceiling and began taking over the floors. The floor and walls shook, knocking around dust and rubble as the evil made itself known. Watching as the malice took over the area, Link couldn't help but believe that he was once again in a hopeless situation. Despite this, he gritted his bloody teeth.

Move, he told himself. He placed his palms on the blood-stained carpet. Move, Link. Move!

He tried to push himself up. He had to go. He had to leave the castle. The Yiga was already heading for Hateno, he was sure of it. He couldn't allow that to happen; he wouldn't allow it. Nothing would happen to Zelda, especially because of his own foolishness. Through the pain, he managed to push himself to his feet.

Okay… Now just— he began, but with another shudder from the tower, he collapsed to the floor.

Lifting his face from the carpet, he looked back to see the malice covering more of the floor. It was getting closer, slowly expanding, engulfing everything it touched. With heavy breaths, he began to pull himself away, crawling across the floor toward the wall. Again, the castle gave another violent shake. Pieces of stained glass fell from their panes, some of which landed on him as he scooted closer to the wall. After what felt like an eternity of clawing across the carpet, he finally reached the stone brick wall. With an excruciatingly painful push, he managed to get himself up into a sitting position before collapsing his shoulder against the stone.

In agony, he brought his hand up to his chest. The pounding of his own heart hurt as it tried to pump blood throughout his broken body. Trying to control his breathing, he looked around the sanctuary again, watching as the malice continued to spread its infection. It looked as though it felt threatened, moving and searching as if it were on the hunt, looking for something that wasn't supposed to be there.

Link's eyes soon found the Sheikah Slate, still laying on the ground a little ways away. He tried to get his body to move, but it simply didn't have the strength. He continued his internal struggle, trying to move. Every time the castle shook, his body seared in pain, but he ignored it. He kept fighting until finally, he rested his cheek on his shoulder in exhaustion.

This isn't good… he thought as the malice continued to grow. I need to find a way out… I need to… I need to… get… back…

He could feel his vision starting to go dark as his breaths began to grow faint. The shaking of the castle began to grow more violent, yet to him, they simply were starting to fade. He couldn't stop here. He had to move. His heartbeat grew slower. He had to get up. The pain was starting to disappear. He had to do something. But he couldn't. All he could do was sit there, trying to move when his body had already started to shut down. He didn't want to believe it. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't allow it to be over. He had to get to her. To save her. To be there for her. To apologize to her.

His eyes closed.

Master. Please keep your spirit strong.

At the sound of the voice, his eyes opened. He had heard that sound before, one that sounded emotionless, and yet caring all the same. The sanctuary had vanished. He was standing now, with his feet firmly planted on an invisible force of emptiness. Confused, he looked around to find himself standing in a void of darkness, one as familiar as a void of nothingness could get. Finally, his eyes rested upon the only other thing in the darkness with him. It was the winged sword that had been kicked into the sanctuary's abyss.

Master, the sword repeated, glowing a faint opal light. You must keep going.

"Why?" Link asked.

It is your duty, the sword answered. You are the hero, chosen by—

"No, not that," Link cut in. "Why are you choosing to speak now? You've been silent all this time as if you've torn yourself from me. It felt like a piece of me has been missing, and yet now you want to speak? When it's almost too late? Why now?"

The sword didn't immediately answer. It sat quietly, sitting with its tip downward as if it were sitting in an invisible pedestal.

There are more trials ahead of you, ones set up for you myself, the sword answered after a few moments of silence. Master, you have gone up against unfathomable beasts, ones that even the goddess did not prepare for. While your spirit has fought for hundreds of thousands of years, each of my masters are different depending on the circumstances in which they were raised. Many experienced loss, that of which has made them stronger. Some of which were more intense than others, but none as great as yours. But, you're still disconnected.

"Disconnected?" Link asked. "What do you mean? Do you think I don't feel anything? That I haven't lost anything? You don't know what I've been experiencing—"

I have seen your dreams, the sword cut in. You are hurting, Master, but your pain is different from the rest, at least during the time the world needed the hero. The ones who wielded me before were encouraged by those they had to save, yet you are haunted by those you couldn't save. Many heroes lost something, but 98% of those who lost something felt it after they were needed. Not during.

Link frowned, balling his hands into fists.

The world still needs you, the sword continued, and you must be ready.

"I am ready," Link said. "That's what Maz Koshia's trials were for, right?"

The trials of the ancient Sheikah were not to test your worthiness, the Master Sword replied. The Sheikah wished to ensure your spirit was still intact and willing to prevail through any hardship the world may challenge you with. I can sense your spirit is strong, but your mind is in pain. You must be in proper mental condition in order to prove to me you can handle my true power.

"If that's what you wanted, then why not say that?" Link asked, furrowing his brow in frustration. "Why leave me alone? I… I needed your guidance…"

I deemed it necessary for you to find your own path to mental stability, the Master Sword explained. It would be inefficient to help you, for I may not always be around.

"What?" Link asked. "What does that mean?"

As you've seen just now, the one you call Calamity Ganon is still active, the sword explained. As I've stated, you are still needed, Master. I believe the Great Deku Tree has told you before: my power is waning. It is probable that my power may not be enough in the future. The power of malice, however, is still growing, hidden away, and waiting for the right moment to strike. To reiterate my point, it would be inefficient to guide you step by step, as I have done for others in the past. I want to fight by your side for generations more, but as I am now, that is no longer guaranteed.

Link balled his hands into fists. The Calamity. That's what was always in his way, taking everything away from him.

Master, the sword spoke up. Please calm yourself.

"How am I supposed to?" Link asked angrily. "The Calamity has taken so much away from me! It took my fellow champions, took my kingdom, my life, Zelda, and now you! How am I supposed to remain calm?"

That is an answer you must find without me, the sword said, but I will go against my previous statement and offer you this: your strength, in every life, has never come from your anger. Everyone you saved, in every lifetime you've wielded me, your power came from elsewhere. It was a power I felt incapable of understanding. But you helped me understand, even if just a little; the power of the human heart.

This took Link by surprise. He averted his eyes, looking down in frustration before sighing.

"I have to figure it out on my own, right?" he asked.

That is incorrect.

After a pause, he shook his head.

"But, you just said—"

You are incorrect, the sword said. I stated you must figure it out without me. Others are different. You will always have those around willing to help you. Your chances of success rise with assistance.

Again, Link paused before nodding.

"Got it, but, if I'm going to do that, then I need to get out of here," he said. He took a step closer to the faintly glowing sword. "I need your help. Even if just this last time before whatever trials you have waiting for me. Please."

The sword remained quiet for a moment again before speaking once more.

Will you improve your psychological state, Master?

"For her, and everyone else I need to protect," Link answered. "I will."

Then I shall assist.

Instantly, the pain in Link's body returned. The void had vanished, with the darkness he was seeing now due to the eyes he had closed before.

A boom echoed throughout the sanctuary. The angered malice began to writhe in pain as an opal light began to shine from the hole below. With all the energy he could muster, Link barely opened his eyes. The gunge that had been slowly covering the floor had started to retract, now fighting against the light that had started consuming it. He watched as the light grew stronger before suddenly, the source of the power was revealed.

Rising from the hole was the blade of evil's bane, encased in a deep purple aura. It floated higher in the air, eradicating the malice the higher it went. The red flames tried to fight back, but they couldn't compete with the sacred light. Link couldn't believe what he was seeing. The Master Sword had never shown itself to be this powerful before him, even when he fought the Calamity.

Master, the sword said. I can assist with this, but the rest is up to you. I will send you back to Hateno Village.

"W-wait, what?" Link asked weakly, trying to sit up as best he could. Suddenly, from out of the corner of his eye, he saw a blue glow, along with hearing a familiar beep. He looked over to see the Sheikah Slate screen had turned on. "You'll send me back? What about—?"

I shall await you in the same place you found me many times before, the sword answered.

In another flash of light, the silhouette of a figure appeared in front of the floating blade, glowing the same shade of deep purple. It was the shape of a woman, though her arms were replaced with what resembled a shawl. That was all Link could make out, for the light that encased her body hid any other possible details. The woman floated away from the sword, stopping to hover just above her master's sitting body. She leaned down until their noses were almost touching.

I believe in you, Master Link. Please, do your best.

Before Link could argue, his body (along with the Sheikah Slate) began to glow blue. Turning into a river of illuminated threads, they flew out the broken windows and out toward the mountains, leaving the glowing woman and sword alone with the struggling malice. With a glance upward at the sword above, the woman curled into a ball before shrinking into a little speck of light. Flying up, she returned to her place inside the sword.

The blade began to glow even brighter before it started to spin, angering the malice even further. The castle shook as even more evil spewed from the circular abyss in the sanctuary's floor, but the sword simply continued to whirl with its light forcing the malice back in. Finally, after a few moments of fighting back against the enraged evil, with a forceful boom, the sword flew away, firing from the sanctuary through one of the broken windows and into the dark clouds above, disappearing from sight.

Still furious, the malice continued to spiral around the tower, yet after some time, it soon realized that it was once again alone. Upon its understanding, the fiery red glow slowly disappeared, sinking back into the hole whence it came. Again, the castle sat quiet, just as it had that morning as if nothing had ever happened, allowing the new flurry of snow to cover its rooftops.

...

With a sigh, Prima walked out of the dining hall. She needed a break from those two. It was getting harder to ignore the gossiper's constant bashing of her employee. It was impressive how much of a grudge those two could hold for so long. Mentally exhausted, she went to her desk and leaned her lower back against its front. She took a deep breath, trying to relax her stressed mind before looking over at the inn's front doors.

It was sudden: after one drink and a few minutes of contemplating, Jules had suddenly stood up and left. It hadn't even been ten minutes after Celessa had opted to go see Zelda did Jules follow after her. That on its own was nerve-wracking. While Prima could only hope that things remained calm with the drunk and the headstrong princess being in the same room only hours after their argument had transpired, she couldn't help but also wonder if something else was wrong. If Link had gone after whatever assassin they kept talking about, it was possible things could be unsafe over there, especially for Zelda in particular. That was worrying.

"Y-you look tired," a voice said from the staircase. "Anything I can help with?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, the clerk turned and looked up to see a large Hylian walking down toward the lobby. While the rest of him looked just as he always had, his already large nose was just a bit larger than usual and even had a mark across its bridge. Even with an injured nose, though, he was still (unsuccessfully) trying to act cool.

"No, Manny," she replied tiredly. "It's nothing you can help with. How's your nose?"

"Better, thanks to you and Celessa," he answered, stopping to stand by her at the desk. "Are you sure it's not broken? I feel like he broke it…"

"It's not, only bruised," she answered. "You're lucky he was drunk, otherwise it would have been broken. What were you thinking, anyway?"

"W-what?" Manny asked, confused. Prima shot him a glare.

"Why did you go up to him like that knowing he was drunk?" she clarified. "That was supposed to be his day. It was his birthday."

Manny looked taken aback before slumping his shoulders and averting his eyes in shame.

"I just… Well…" he tried to start. "I was having a drink with Jules, and well… I saw Zelda and her going at it and I couldn't help but feel like it was his fault. I mean, that guy has so many people around him, despite how he's been these past few months. Before, at least it made sense; he was a cool guy, but now—"

"Now that he's having a hard time, suddenly you're upset that people are around him more than you," Prima finished for him, crossing her arms, "and that caused you to go pick a fight with him. Right?"

"Y-yeah…" Manny admitted."Sorry."

"It's not me you should be apologizing to," Prima said, still giving him a stern gaze. Manny didn't say anything, but after a few moments, the clerk's face softened. "But… It wasn't all your fault. Regardless of anything, it was wrong for him to hit you, even if I think you did somewhat deserve it."

"T-thanks?" Manny replied, looking Prima back in the eye.

"You know, I liked you better when you were just being yourself," she said suddenly. "Helping out around the inn just because you wanted to be helpful, even if you looked like a fool at times."

"R-really?" Manny asked. His large cheeks flushed a little.

"I think we all did. You always try and act so cool. It really doesn't suit you, and it gets you into trouble. Look at what happened to you this time," she reached up and lightly touched his nose, which caused him to flinch slightly. "You would think you wanted this."

"S-sorry…" Manny repeated, this time in a mumble. "I didn't mean to… uh… worry you."

After a brief pause, Prima blinked.

"Who said I was worried?" she asked, removing her hand from his face.

"H-huh?" Manny asked, blinking back.

"I'm just trying to give you a quick word of advice so nothing else happens to go wrong in my inn," she explained nonchalantly. "If you don't take it, I'll be forced to ban you from the inn."

"Ban?" Manny repeated. "What do you mean ban? You'd actually do that?"

"I'm trying not to," Prima shrugged. "You'd be the first person I ever banned. While it would help in the short term, it would really look bad for the place long term. So, considering that and the fact you'd rather not be banned, I'd suggest you start doing better for the both of us."

"U-uh…" Manny stuttered out. Prima folded her arms.

"I'm not hearing a 'yes, ma'am,'" she said sternly.

"Y-yes, ma'am…" he said nervously.

"That's better," she said with a grin.

"You're so cold," Manny replied quietly, but Prima simply shrugged again.

"You live up here in the mountains, you should be used to it," she said, just as the front doors to the inn began to open. Both turned to see a tall man coming in, covered with snowflakes and carrying a basket of goods. "Dantz. Welcome back."

"Hey there," he said, kicking the doors behind him closed. "Good to see you again, Prima. I've got you some stock for the place, enough that'll last you a few days in case the storm returns."

"Thanks, Dantz," she said. She looked back at Manny, tilting her head toward the basket in Dantz's hands. After a few seconds of processing, he realized what she wanted and took the basket away from the farmer. With a nod, Prima asked, "can you go put that in the dining hall for me? I'll organize it later."

"Yeah, s-sure," Manny said, afraid to disobey her after what she had told him earlier. Almost eagerly, he carried the basket away before disappearing into the hall.

"What's with that smile?" Dantz asked as Prima watched her helper walk away.

"What smile?" she asked. "I'm not smiling."

"You sure are," the farmer chuckled. A frown now appeared on the clerk's face.

"I'm not, and if I am, it's just because I got someone to make my life a little easier just now," she said. "One less thing to worry about. I've learned the benefits of having someone help out, that's all. Besides, I'm more nervous than anything right now, if I'm being honest."

"Nervous? What about?" Dantz asked.

"Zelda, Link, and whoever else is at that house of theirs," she answered. "I can't help but shake this feeling that something's wrong."

"Well, after what happened with Link at that party, I can't blame you," the farmer answered. "Speaking of that, is Manny alright? You know, with that hit he took?"

"Yeah, he's fine. Only bruised," Prima replied. "Hey, look, I really appreciate you bringing supplies here, but do you think you could do me another favor? Can you go check up on their house? Zelda and Link's, I mean."

"Yeah, I don't mind," Dantz said. "I wanted to check up on Link, anyway. He's really been out of it these past few months, it's really starting to cause an issue around the town, especially with what happened. Reede wants to see Manny about that too, surely to scold him."

"Great, you can take him too," Prima said, pointing at Manny as he walked back into the room. He blinked.

"What? I'm being sent away?" he asked.

"You are," she replied. "You can't stay here forever. You're healing fine and you haven't been home in some time. Reede wants to talk to you and then you can get home."

"R-Reede wants me?" Manny asked nervously.

"He does," Dantz spoke up. "Now's a better time than any with the storm deciding to take a little break. Why don't you help me check up on Link's place? It'll give you a chance to make amends with him, and then you can head over to Reede's."

"Yeah, fine," Manny agreed dejectedly. "Thanks for taking care of me."

After receiving a nod from Prima, Manny and Dantz headed toward the door, with the farmer giving the large man a pat on the back.

"Hey."

Manny and Dantz, both paused and looked back at Prima, who still had her arms folded.

"Make sure you come back. We need to build up your tolerance to alcohol so nothing happens next time. Got it?"

Manny gave a stupid grin.

"Yeah… Got it."

...

"Do I really have to go to Link's house?" Manny asked as he and Dantz walked through the snow. "I'm sure we can make amends later…"

"No reason to put off what you can do today to tomorrow," Dantz answered with a chuckle. "Besides, it'll make you look good in Prima's eyes, seeing you take responsibility and all."

"Really?" Manny asked.

"She seemed pretty happy to be around you today," Dantz answered. "That's a first."

"You think so?" he asked.

"Yeah, it was actually kind of surpri— What is that?"

Dantz had stopped in his tracks. Confused, Manny stopped as well, giving the farmer a look.

"What?" he asked. "What is it?"

Suddenly, Dantz ran forward, sprinting as fast as he could through the snow before sliding to his knees.

"Dantz!" Manny yelled, jogging as fast as he could after him. "What's going on? Why are you—?"

His face went white. As he grew closer to where Dantz was crouched, the pure white snow had started to become tainted with a deep red. Soon, he found himself standing next to the farmer's crouched body, staring down at the bloody corpse laying in the snow.

"I-is that, Link?" Manny asked in shock.

"Oi. Oi, Link," Dantz called as he began to search around and inspect the body. "Hey, come on, now. Stay with me…"

Manny's eyes began to travel. He couldn't look any longer. He noticed a trail of red leading from the body to the spaces between the houses and behind.

"Did he crawl here from the shrine?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, but he needs attention, and quickly," Dantz responded, starting to pick Link's body up. "Come on, help me get him to the inn—"

Before he could finish, the body moved. It took Dantz by the red scarf he wore and tugged, trying to pull itself up.

"Link! Link, be careful!" Dantz said as Link attempted to pull himself up. "Don't worry, I gotcha. Look, we need to get you to the—"

"No," Link said between deep breaths. "Take me… to my house… Now…"

"Link, you can't go home!" Dantz said. "You need attention! We need to get you to the inn!"

"My house…" Link repeated again between gasps. "Now."