It's been a while.

I've never had any intention of abandoning this fic, and I do intend to see it through to the end.

I've got the last few chapters fully planned out, it's just been a matter of actually writing them.

So, here's chapter 49, and I hope you enjoy.

The fighting waged on in the rest of Hyrule Castle. The shouts and clanging of metal echoed down the halls leading to the castle's dungeons. Link raised his head and listened to the distant sounds, picking up his pace. He'd been at the back of the group as they retracted their steps through the dungeons, but he was the least hurt. He was the most capable of fighting, over the injured Midna and Ghirahim and over Damien, who was busy carrying Linebeck.

"I'll- I'll keep an eye out for the rest of you guys," he called back as he passed them. Only Ghirahim nodded at him.

A small pack of Yiga kept close to them. None of them spoke, but one of them hurried over to Link's side, and pointed down a hall once they exited the dungeons. Link merely shook his head. "The quickest way out is going to take us right through the fighting. We should avoid that."

The Yiga soldier hesitated, then nodded. Then, he spoke. "…If you spread news of Zelda's death, it may halt the fighting."

At that, Link frowned. He straightened up, peering down the hall. "It'll be too dangerous to take everyone else that way," he decided.

"You're going alone, then?" Ghirahim's words were emotionless; he peered at Link from besides Midna, who was leaning against the wall. Ghirahim started to speak again, then stopped. He glanced back at Damien. "We'll…" When he faced Link again, a look of determination had settled over his features. "We'll be fine. If you think you can stop the fighting, then you should go ahead. I remember the castle layout, and I'm sure Midna does, too." Behind him, Midna gave a short nod.

"I'll be careful," Link promised, nodding back. "Take care of yourselves." He set a hand on the Yiga soldier's shoulder. "Go with them. Please keep them safe." Then, not wasting any more time, Link dashed down the hall towards the sounds of battle. He was not hindered by the tears in his synthetic skin, but there was a new lurch in his run.

The carpet beneath his feet was torn and stained, and though the halls were empty as he ran through, there were abandoned weapons and dried spots of blood littered by the walls. Link leapt over a body left by a doorway. He didn't give it a second glance. The library was along this route; it was one of the largest rooms in the castle, so he suspected that most of the fighting was going on there.

Fighting the Sheikah off wouldn't be a problem, damaged or not, Link figured. The real problem would be convincing the Sheikah that Zelda was dead. He had no proof other than his words, unless the Master Sword could somehow back him up.

The sword was warm in its scabbard; one way or another he'd be using it, and the shadow had been absorbed into it. If he was lucky, someone might be able to sense the shadow's presence and convince the Sheikah. Link didn't have too much confidence in his ability to convince someone of something, and he didn't want to resort to killing Impa.

Link forced open a door in his way and found himself in the grand library. It was enveloped in chaos, Yiga and Sheikah soldiers engaged in bloody battle across the entire room. Numerous bodies from both sides littered the floor, and bookshelves and tables had been overturned and destroyed. There were books scattered and trampled, ignored amongst the ongoing battle. Most of the lights in the room were shut off, so Link merely surveyed the scene while his eyes adjusted.

No one saw him enter. No one stopped their fighting or even glanced his way. Link pulled the Master Sword from its scabbard and slowly walked into the room. He was on the second floor of the library, with a floor above and below him, and Impa nowhere to be seen. If she wasn't in the library, then he could at least try to stop as much fighting as he could before finding her.

Link tensed as he spotted a small battle not too far from him, a pair of Yiga fighting off a small group of Sheikah. He rushed over, quickly disarming an attacking Sheikah with a swing of his blade. The Sheikah's sword went flying, and he threw an arm in front of the Yiga. "You Sheikah have lost," he declared, flicking the tip of the Master Sword's blade up to the throat of the nearest Sheikah. "Zelda is dead. Continuing to fight is futile."

The disarmed Sheikah hesitated; the other two lunged at him without a word. Link set his jaw and parried the attack of the first one, then simply dodged the second. He didn't have the time for this. Before the Yiga could join him, Link whipped around and smashed the pommel of his sword in the back of the first Sheikah's head, cleanly knocking them out. The second Sheikah had turned and clearly intended to attack Link again, but the Yiga had both of their weapons pointed at his chest.

Link glared at the Sheikah, then turned to the Yiga. "Zelda is dead. Capture this man here along with his allies, but do not kill them. Spread the word." He paused, giving the Yiga time to nod, then asked, "Have you seen the Sheikah's commander, Impa?"

One of the Yiga nodded. "I saw her fighting with Ganondorf, but they may have moved to a different room. We will spread the word, as you want."

Link just gave a short nod and ran off to intercept another fighting group.

The library was in total chaos, but as Link spread the news further, more Yiga rallied behind him and helped him clean to room up, getting rid of nearly all of the Sheikah within. Almost none of them believed Link's news. He didn't expect them to. He was at least glad that he and the Yiga managed to stop them.

As far as he knew, the route his friends were taking was mostly safe- smaller corridors and rooms that would be hard to fight in. On the other hand, however, if they got caught in those halls, they could easily be trapped.

Link grit his teeth, surveying the ground of now-captured Sheikah, then snapped, "Where is Impa?"

Most of them either glared at him or averted their gazes. Link tightened his grip on the Master Sword. He was about to ask again, more forcefully, but one of the Sheikah in the back called out, "I-I last saw her fighting Ganondorf!"

Link stared at him, a young man now leaning away from his clearly furious peers. "Where?!"

"…Th-they were headed down to the… the mess hall, I believe! It's-"

"I know where that is," Link shortly replied, and he dashed off without a second thought.

Midna checked and rechecked her bandages all the way down the hall. She could barely focus on anything else- none of them could. She could see Ghirahim repeatedly rubbing at or otherwise touching his nose, and Damien seemed aware of very little asides from Linebeck's condition. None of them would be able to put up much of a fight- Ghirahim technically could, but he'd seemed oddly quiet since the last fight.

They still had the little gaggle of Yiga soldiers trailing behind them, obviously unfamiliar with these narrow, less-used castle corridors. Midna was in the lead, the most familiar with the castle and the most aware of their surroundings.

The only sounds were their footsteps. Every so often Ghirahim would sniff, but they were quiet. Midna's arm burned, but the bandages kept her from losing blood. She only had the pain to worry about. She clenched her fists and grabbed her spear.

"This route should let us out in the old courtyard. Has anyone set up a spot where injured Yiga are treated?"

"A temporary medical bay should be set up in the main dining hall," one of the trailing Yiga replied. "Mipha and some other healer Zora should be the ones running it."

"…The main dining hall… We'll have to cross through a guard post to get there in good time." She glanced back at Damien. "How does Linebeck look? Ghirahim and I are trying to keep that wound blocked, but we can only do that for so long."

Damien flinched in reaction to her words, then hesitated. "I'm not-" He cut himself off and peered down at Linebeck, his gaze lingering on each major wound. "I'm not sure, but… We sh-should hurry."

"Agreed. I can keep up that barrier for a bit longer, but I can't really manage any more magic if I want that to stay stable." Midna marched forward and led the group down and out of the narrow halls, taking a turn that returned them to the carpeted corridors. The narrower halls were mostly unchanged from 200 years ago- they weren't hidden, just a bit inconvenient- so it seemed that the Sheikah found them useful as well.

"Damien." Midna heard the young man react with a short intake of breath. "What do you know about medical procedures, or how to deal with wounds? When we get to the medical bay, you'll have to help, you know, and you'll have to be careful putting him down."

"I know that."

"Just…" Midna trailed off. She just shook her head and led the group towards the dining hall. Behind her, she could hear the little group of Yiga mumbling amongst each other. Though she could also hear distant shouting and battle, it appeared that they would remain separate from the main conflict on the way to the dining hall.

"Midna," Ghirahim murmured, surprising her as he jogged to catch up with her. "What's the plan? We get to the dining hall… then stick around? Link's working on spreading the word about Zelda… so we just need to get out of here and make sure Linebeck doesn't die." Ghirahim hesitated, then glanced back at Damien. "Do- do you have any of those teleporting-magic amulets?"

"…I do," Damien mumbled. "B-but it's considerably harder to transport someone who is unconscious, since they… obviously can't hold on to the person teleporting." He nervously glanced down at Linebeck. "B-besides, most of our healers should be in the castle. We d-don't know if there's going to be anyone skilled enough back at the hideout."

Midna just nodded. "Got it. Just… do what you need, and we'll get over to the dining hall."

"Mipha will be there," Damien suddenly pointed out. "She's a great healer a-and a great fighter and the o-other healers are skilled, too." He gave a nervous grin, carefully shifting Linebeck in his arms.

The dining hall was in the quietest part of the castle, far from the library and with a handful of Yiga soldiers standing outside the different entrances. They recognized the approaching group immediately, and Midna ran over to meet them. She made sure that the room was being used as a medical bay, and ran in ahead of everyone else. Very quickly, she identified Mipha at the center of the room.

The room itself was dimly-lit, with the entrances leading outside guarded by more uninjured Yiga. The tables were moved aside and propped up against the walls, leaving the room on the floor for the injured, most of which were being tended to by Zora with healing magic and others with bandages and potions. Midna hurried over to Mipha, careful not to trample over anyone and stumbling in the narrow pathways.

They exchanged no words- Mipha spotted Midna quickly, and her gaze just as swiftly snapped to the others. Damien broke away from the rest of the group and wasted no time, laying Linebeck down on an open bit of ground. Damien and Mipha stared at each other, and she gestured at some nearby Zora. The two of them approached Midna and Ghirahim, and the two of them shooed them away, directing them at Linebeck.

"You found him," Mipha murmured, already getting to work. Beneath her hands glowed a soft teal light, and the bruising around Linebeck's wrist was already starting to slowly fade. "This is… this is certainly a… condition. Where was he-"

"A hidden segment of the dungeons," Ghirahim quickly responded. "Can you heal him? That wound- th-the big one- Midna and I as using some magic to keep it from bleeding, can you handle that one-"

"It's certainly a nasty wound," Mipha muttered, peering at it and wave a hand over it. "From the looks of it, he's lucky that whatever caused it missed his spine, but just barely. …From the placements, it's likely that he'll need his intestines patched up, so even after we fix this up and he survives, he'll have to stay in bed for a while." She scowled at the wound. "My magic is too unprecise for this. I can stitch it up, but he'll require surgery for it to be correctly healed."

"What, your magic would just melt his intestines together or something?" Midna asked, managing a weak laugh. It trailed off as Mipha fixed her with a nervous look. "Oh, goddesses, healing magic can do that?"

"Healing magic is incredibly straight-forward," Mipha muttered. She accepted a small bag from another Zora healer. "I help follow up after surgeries, and in cases like when I healed his knee, if I can see most of the damage, then everything will be fine. It draws on the body's natural healing capabilities, and shallower wounds and broken bones are easier to handle. Not to mention, we fixed his knee with a mixture of surgeries and healing sessions. A hole like this is much more difficult to handle." She started untucking and unbuttoning Linebeck's shirt, glancing briefly at Ghirahim and Midna. "Keeping the wound from bleeding too much was a good move."

"Of course it was," Ghirahim hissed. "Just- do something!"

"I am," Mipha tersely replied. "You don't need to be breathing down my neck. It breaks my concentration. Just-" She pointed past Midna and Ghirahim at Damien, who they'd nearly forgotten was there. "He's the only one who needs the stay if you're going to be this antsy. Go out and help the others, make our jobs easier back here. Prevent some deaths."

Midna scowled, but Ghirahim just sighed. With a new calm, he reached and grabbed Midna's sleeve. "Of course, of course, We're the best you've got below yourself and the other black scarves, obviously. C'mon, Midna, we're clearly not needed here. It'll be better to take out our frustrations on some of those stubborn Sheikah out there." He gave her a good yank, and Midna finally relented, rising to her feet and quickly following Ghirahim out.

"What gives?" She muttered, leaving the makeshift infirmary at his heels. Midna tightened her grip on her spear, glaring around at each doorway they passed. "You sick of doing nothing?" She stared at the back of his head, then blink. "Oh, that's exactly it, huh?"

"Maybe. Let's just go and let her work."

Midna nodded and gave a noncommittal sniff. She picked up the pace and passed Ghirahim, chin held high. "Alright, then. No… no point worrying in the middle of this mess. Link's probably on his way to find Impa or already fighting her. What should we do?"

"You tell me. Just point me at someone." After a moment's pause, snapping his fingers and summoning his sword, Ghirahim scoffed. "You know, we might as well back up Link, wherever he is. Robot or not, he'd bound to start flagging sometime soon."

"When's the last time he got any rest? I'd say he's lucky to be a robot nowadays."

There was a growing numbness in Link's left leg. On the way to the mess hall, he'd been ambushed by a group of Sheikah. Even as many of them surrendered and the news of Zelda's death spread, there were groups that kept fighting. They had yet to find Impa, the closest thing the Sheikah now had to a leader. He'd checked barracks, dormitory rooms, the kitchen, the forge, the library… Link ran through a list of every room he knew of in the castle, searching for one he'd yet to check.

He started to follow a trail of Sheikah, following a path marked by groups of Sheikah he had yet to defeat. Link repeatedly switched his grip on his sword as he ran- he realized that it didn't feel as warm as before- not cold, just not as warm. Worry lingered in his mind, but the sword still allowed him to wield it. That worry returned to the back of his mind when he reached the music room- only identifiable as the music room due to some discarded music stands in one corner and due to Link's own memories of it.

Impa stood alone in the middle of the room. She slowly turned to face Link. They were alone in the room. Link had yet to find Ganondorf, and none of the black scarves he'd run into went with him. He hadn't so much as seen Ghirahim or Midna- the Yiga following him had stopped at the doorway when they saw Impa. Link held out an arm to keep them back, and he and Impa stared at each other. His grip on the Master Sword tightened.

"Zelda's dead," he announced. The Yiga following him murmured amongst themselves, and he gestured for them to leave. "Most of the Sheikah in this castle have been defeated. We've finally won."

Impa narrowed her eyes. "Dead?"

Link lowered his sword ever so slightly. "…In a sense. I assume you knew."

Silence. Link strained the machinery in his ears, and the only sound from Impa was her breathing. His heart raced in his chest; it was slowly setting in, the fact that he'd finally achieved his goal, after 200 years, after death itself. The only thing left standing in his way was Impa, and his heart hammered in his chest with both excitement and fear. "The shadow's gone. We've killed it. You're done."

Impa's left eye twitched. Link allowed himself a thin smile. "The queen is dead. You no longer have anyone to serve. You are free to do as you want. I will kill you if you refuse to back down." His words were cold. He could see emotions flashing in Impa's eyes, even if her expression did not change. Link knew enough about the Sheikah, about their servitude to the royal family; that he'd resolved to let go even those who refused to back down. But Impa… Link could tell that it would be unwise to let her go.

He took a step closer to her, and she took a step back. Link didn't hesitate; requiring no momentum, he launched himself at Impa and just barely missed her when she dodged out of the way of his slash. Link resolved to give her no time, chasing after her without a moment's rest and forcing her to block his next attack with her own sword. She grunted with the effort of shoving his blade away. "Persistent for a dead man-" She winced as Link's blade sliced her shoulder open.

"I could say the same for that shadow," Link growled. He jumped back, keeping the Master Sword aimed at Impa. "Just surrender. It's over, and there's nothing you could do to win at this point. If you and your allies stand down, I can promise that we will let them free to do as they wish- there's no point in continuing this quest, anyways. Why aim for the ruin of Hyrule?"

Impa set her jaw and glared silently at him. "I am… I am sworn to serve Hylian royalty."

"And the Hylian royalty is dead."

"I did not- she did not…" Impa suddenly shut her eyes and clenched her fists. "I had hoped to convince her towards another goal, but I suppose there was no hope, was there?"

Link slowly lowered his sword. "Will you stand down, then?"

"I-!" Impa grit her teeth, and the both of them turned to look at the door way as the sounds of many footfalls reached them. A mass of Yiga swarmed into the room, with Ganondorf at the head. Impa scowled at him; Link brought the Master Sword back up to her throat as a warning.

"The rest of the Sheikah have surrendered," Ganondorf declared, his voice booming and unwavering despite the wound in his side. "I expect you to do the same, Impa."

She glared daggers at him, though did not move. After a long moment, she sighed heavily and deflated, collapsing to her knees. "I have no reason to go on," she whispered.

Link lowered his sword and backed away, and a group of Yiga surged forward to surround her. As they bound her wrists with rope, Ganondorf said, "Your fellows will be unharmed and released in due time. Your leader is dead, and with it, your means of continuing." His voice softened. "For the sake of your people, stand down. You no longer need be bound to the Hylian royals. You will be free to do as you wish, as long as you do not threaten this world again."

Impa said nothing and didn't move until the Yiga forced her up onto her feet. Ganondorf nodded at them, and one of the Yiga tore a paper amulet in half and promptly disappeared in a cloud of dust and amulets. Ganondorf sighed, and Link carefully sheathed the Master Sword. He didn't move for a moment, staring around, then silently turned and walked out of the room.

Link passed through the doorway and nearly ran right into Midna and Ghirahim. He just blinked at them, while they stopped in their tracks and gaped at him, and Ghirahim was the first to speak, "You- Hey! What's been going on- we got Linebeck to the infirmary- you look a bit roughed up…"

"Impa's been taken captive," Link replied once Ghirahim trailed off. "We're done."

"You-" Midna cut herself off, looking past Link at Ganondorf. "The Sheikah are done for? What are we doing with Kakariko and any stragglers?" She jabbed the end of her spear into the ground, peering around. "What are your plans now that things are over?"

"That's what we'll discuss once we've ensured that the castle is clear," Ganondorf began. "Of course, we have plans in mind, but we need to first make sure that Hyrule is safe." He paused, then gazed at the three of them in turn. "We… do not have you factored in as major figures in these plans, since your appearances and roles were only recently discovered, but know that we will not bother you unless you wish to be involved."

"I mean-" Midna let out a frustrated growl before continuing. "I assume you and the Yiga are going to figure out something to do in place of the Hylian royal family, considering… considering that with Zelda, the family line is dead. What about informing the other races and settlements? What will you do to better restore the world, to help the city, to connect the inhabitants of this country… What about the Triforce? Link has courage, and wisdom was split and two and- and given to both the Zora and hidden in the eastern forests, but what about power? You still need to track that down-"

"…We're not quite sure what to do with the Triforce," Ganondorf admitted. "But… and I'll be sure to check with you three- you four- but we do have a theory about the Triforce of power's location."

Midna narrowed her eyes, and Link coldly just blinked, mildly surprised. Ghirahim spoke next, "…Zelda- the shadow had it somehow, I imagine," he murmured, looking past Ganondorf. "Not on her person, would've reacted to Link… Did she break it apart, like with wisdom?" He frowned, and looked up just as Ganondorf replied.

"We suspect it was broken apart, and then turned into those crystals you'd come across, the ones spawning and controlling monsters." Ganondorf crossed his arms. "We've been collecting the pieces, so you don't need to worry about finding them."

"Our job's done, then," Link mumbled. He eyed Midna and Ghirahim. "We're done, we can just leave now." His sharp gaze switched over to Ganondorf. "May we leave?"

Ghirahim shot Link a surprised look, and Midna merely tensed. "I'd be willing to stay and help you clean up," Midna offered. "I suppose Link's job is done, the shadow gone and everything, but I am more than willing to continue."

"We should leave," Link mused, and he reached up to grab Midna's shoulder. "We're done. The Yiga are more than capable. We're… we're all hurt." He eyed the gash in Midna's arm, then turned to face Ghirahim, who raised a hand to his broken nose, as though he'd forgotten about it. "And we need to make sure Linebeck is fine."

"Mipha's taking a look at him," Midna muttered. "It can wait."

"And so can your helping us," Ganondorf declared. "The four of you have done enough, and I have decided that we have little need for your help- not that you'd be useless, but it seems to me that you have all earned and need some rest, at the very least." Before Midna could say anything, he added, "I will approach you if we need help, but right now your job is done. We can handle the rest."

Link tugged on Midna's shoulder. She glared back at him, then stared at Ganondorf, then seemed to deflate. "…Very well." She turned and with a small sigh, started heading down the hall. Link followed, and Ghirahim trailed behind after a moment's hesitation.

The makeshift infirmary was less crowded now; a few patients were sitting up, some had left, and the less fortunate were still being tended to. Many of the Yiga healers seemed to be packing up their things, while a few select Zora hovered over those still in need of help. Mipha was sitting near the middle of the room next to Damien, the two of them appearing to be quietly talking.

Linebeck was where Midna and Ghirahim had left him, though looking considerably more cleaned-up and taken care of. Link carefully made his way over, unnoticed by Mipha and Damien until he knelt down. "How is he now?"

Damien narrowed his eyes, but Mipha shrugged. "Stabilized. You're free to move him if you need and know what to do. He's lost a lot of blood and there's infection in his older wounds, so you need to keep a close eye on him if you're not going to be leaving him in someone else's care. He needs to rest; invest in surgery. Soon." She paused, then narrowed her eyes. "I assume you're not leaving him in someone else's care. You four don't seem the type."

Link just shrugged, then glanced over at Damien. "You can decide."

Damien sighed. He looked decently battered, a few faint bruises visible on his arms and face, but he hardly looked in need of serious medical care. He peered down at Linebeck, then over at Mipha, who gave him a much more sympathetic look. "…We should bring him back to your guys' place. That's… where he lives, and everyone knows about it and if you need it a healer can transport over real quick."

There was no more discussion beyond that point- Damien spoke briefly with Mipha while Link, Ghirahim, and Midna prepared to be transported back to their home. Link inspected the tears in his false skin as he waited, peering into the gaps and making note of every severed wire. There was a faint tingling in the tips of his fingers and toes that he'd only noticed once he'd relaxed.

The Yiga started filing out of the castle, with only a few hanging around to help in what Ganondorf and the black scarves were beginning to do. Link watched a small group of Yiga run past outside the room. The castle was captured, and Link had little else to do. Eventually, Damien returned, and the group prepared to leave.

Link didn't speak while Ghirahim volunteered to carry Linebeck. His mind wandered to the Master Sword on his back as he was nudged into place for the transportation. The sword felt colder and heavier than before. All the more confirmation that their job was finally done. Midna grabbed his hand and he flinched. A moment later, and the castle dining hall disappeared as they transported out and back into the wasteland.

Link stumbled a step and gathered his bearings as Ghirahim and Damien hurried into the Rain Keep. The warm air was a relief, and Link straightened up and exhaled slowly. "Happy to be back?" Midna asked, flicking his shoulder. "Feels like it's been ages."

"…Yeah." Link watched Ghirahim and Damien take Linebeck inside, and murmured, "Do you think they need any help?"

"Probably not," Midna murmured, her voice now more melancholy. "If we need, Mipha will probably help us out. And you'll know if he dies, right?"

"Right. …Right." Link crossed his arms with a heavy sigh, and he flinched as his vision flickered. "I-In any case, should we check on things? Or I can check on things, and you can take a look at your injuries. If that gets worse, then you can't do much, anyways."

Midna rolled her eyes in an almost belligerent manner, but she reached up and gently touched the wound on her arm. "…I'll see you later, then," she mumbled, walking off.

"I'm going to be checking on the plants," Link called after her as she set off to the door. She waved back at him and he let his arms drop back to his sides.

Link stood around a moment longer, then got to work.

The little rows of blueberry plants needed weeding, the bottles of potion needed to be refilled once he got his hands on more, the water gathered on the roof needed cleaning (and likely draining). It wasn't until it was nearly nightfall that Link finished, and he finally pulled the Master Sword and his scabbard off his back. He decided to head inside with it cradled in his arms. He felt no real fatigue, but there was a faint buzzing in his ears and the edges of his vision had become blurry.

Ghirahim greeted him with a slight nod, and Damien was seated on the faded couch, reading- the calmness in their movements released a tension Link didn't even realize was present in his limbs. He nodded back at Ghirahim, and laid the Master Sword on the table. Link stared at it for a long moment, then, taking off his shield and putting it with the sword, said, "Linebeck's doing alright?"

"He's fine," Damien mumbled from across the room. "…I'm going to check on him in about an hour." He paused and set down his book. "You can check on him. He's fine, just… not awake. Not sure when he'll wake up…" Damien's voice trailed off, and he sighed, returning his attention to his book. Link, after a moment, just nodded slightly and walked off to the second floor.

Link nearly ran into Midna as he turned to walk down the second-floor hall. They both mumbled apologizes to each other, and Midna gave a short, small cackle as they shuffled past each other.

Most of the second-floor rooms had their doors open. Link glanced briefly into his room, and brushed past it without a second thought. He went immediately to Linebeck's room and pushed the door open. Without hesitating, Link gravitated over to the desk, pulled out the chair, and sat down across from the bed.

Some vague sense of guilt rose in his mind as he watched Linebeck slowly breathe. Link rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his palms and paused to inspect the damaged material on his palms. The synthetic skin had tiny tears and blemishes where the top layer had been rubbed off. He sighed. None of them knew when Linebeck would wake up, though Mipha's healing and the fact that his wounds had been tended to quickly would certainly help. Link tried to see if any of the processes running in the back of his mind would help; he got weather predictions, the time of day, the temperature of the air, even his coordinates. It was hardly likely that Linebeck had programmed his body to have many medical capabilities.

Link reclined in the chair and his gaze slipped over to the little terrarium. Rusty the lizard hardly seemed aware of what was going on around him, and seemed to be dozing off on a rock. Link smiled faintly.

He tipped his head back and shut his eyes, intending to rest. It must've been days since he last rested; already his functions were becoming faulty, and a nearly indiscernible buzzing was present in his ear.

Link dozed for a few minutes, but flinched back into consciousness when he heard the door creak open. His eyes fluttered open and he resisted the urge to rub at them as Damien awkwardly shuffled in. "Hey."

Damien didn't greet him in return. He just mumbled, "Mind if I take your chair?"

"Hm? Oh, sure. I could leave."

"You're fine."

Link found a spare besides the table to sit down, and Damien took the chair, sitting with his book in his lap. He stared at Linebeck with clear melancholy in his eyes. "…I asked Ghirahim and Midna if they wanted to check on him too. They just said it'd be crowded in here."

"They'd be right," Link mused. "I think they're confident that he'll be alright."

"You think?"

Link shrugged. "He did survive losing his arm and leg, and made new ones while recovering. Plus, with Zora magic and being tended to… He'll survive." He paused, then smiled. "He's kinda like a cockroach."

"A cockroach," Damien repeated hollowly. Then, he chuckled. "I'll tell him you said that."

"And he'll probably cross some of my wires on purpose for it."

"I might help him," Damien replied, more focus present in his eyes. "I've never asked to help him with his work before, though I've given him a couple woodcarving tips."

"I bet he'd appreciate the help," Link murmured, shutting his eyes and leaning against the wall. "I'm going to rest. Let me know if… if anything happens." He gave it a few minutes, hearing Damien open his book and begin flipping through it, and eventually shut himself off. The feeling of total relaxation had almost become alien to him, but it was more than welcome.

He floated in that nothingness for what felt like a long, long while. When he was shaken awake, his internal clock told him it had only been just over six hours. Link opened his eyes sheepishly, wondering why he'd been waken up, the quiet voices reaching his ears a moment later. Everyone was in the room- it was darker, a desk lamp providing some light, Midna, Ghirahim, and Damien all sitting around the bed with mismatched chairs. Link started to stand, and got everyone's attention with his movement.

Link started to greet them, but stopped himself- a flickering shape close to his face cut him off, and it solidified into the blurry shape of Bellum, staring at him with surprising intensity for something without a face. "H-hey."

"Good morning," the little AI chirped, and Link numbly just nodded. Glancing past him, Link watched Linebeck attempt to sit up and turn to him before wincing in pain, Damien leaning forward and murmuring something in his ear.

"You're awake," Link tonelessly said. Linebeck just laughed hoarsely. Midna reached over and grabbed at his arm, and he put up no resistance as he was tugged over with everyone else, crouching at the side of the bed. He smiled. "I thought you'd be out for a week."

Linebeck rolled his eyes. He looked groggy and uncomfortable, idly scratching at the bandages covering most of his chest. "Real… hopeful, you lot," he muttered. "Ghirahim was saying three days." He tried sitting up again, and flinched away from Damien's attempt to help him. "D-don't," he whispered, his voice unsteady.

He stared at each of them in turn, and Bellum settled in his lap. Then, he looked around the room with clear uncertainty. "H-how long was I out?"

"We don't know," Midna admitted. "We just found you passed out, and brought you back home a few hours ago. Zelda's dead. The shadow's dead," she breathlessly added. "We're done. Everything's alright."

Linebeck just nodded stiffly. He rolled his shoulders, giving his prosthetic arm a glance, then looked down at his bandages. "…I don't… remember this."

"Don't worry about it," Ghirahim quickly said before Link even had a chance to open his mouth. "Just rest. You're alright."

"Y-yeah," Linebeck mumbled. "I thought…" He shook his head and laid back down. "Nothing. It's… nice to be back."

"I missed you," Damien quietly said. Linebeck turned his head slightly to look at him and reached slowly for his hand on the edge of the mattress. Damien silently blinked and gently took Linebeck's hand in his.

"Do you need anything?" Link asked, feeling a bit restless.

"…No."

"He's hungry," Bellum loudly put in.

Linebeck's face twitched, and Link grinned. He relayed Bellum's words, and the little AI seemed to stare around smugly as everyone but Damien got up.

Bellum was more than willing to outline every little thing Linebeck needed, to the point where Linebeck scowled and tried to swipe at him like he was physically present. The early night turned to early morning while everyone hurried around, Damien even leaving the room to pitch in with housework or fulfilling the last items on the list Bellum had given Link. When Bellum verified that nothing else needed to be done, Linebeck was well enough to talk about whatever came to mind with everyone else, saying nothing about the past two weeks but not quite resisting when they changed out his bandages.

Linebeck said nothing about it, but Link- and likely the others- could tell he was incredibly relieved to be safe and back home.