He was back in the dark, dim room with less than half the robots they started with. Link hated the helmet. It felt wrong for something to be so close to his face at all times. Ghirahim had made fun of him for complaining about it earlier that day, mocking him for being afraid of metal so close to his face when he was fighting for his life. Midna had joined in, and the two mercilessly toyed with them until Linebeck had snapped at them to shut their traps.

When they'd woken, they found Linebeck curled up in a cocoon of sorts made up of blankets. He'd muttered to them about Damien not being at his shop the night before but let them know that there was a note on the counter about his not being there. The note had said something about him bringing a commission piece to someone in a different town. Ghirahim had muttered something about Linebeck being a 'lovesick puppy' but quickly shifted to mocking Link not even thirty minutes later.

On the way back to the coliseum, Link asked Midna in an undertone why Linebeck had never mentioned Damien prior to coming to the city for the tournament. She'd simply responded with, "He usually doesn't mention him at all outside the city, but it's not like he forgets about him. The distance between them serves as a reason why they can't see each other, while, in the city, there are plenty of chances, and they've been squandered so far."

He then quietly asked if Linebeck was always so rude and standoffish. "Oh, no," she whispered. "He's livelier with other people, but only because he has the most convincing fake smile you'll ever see. He's a fantastic actor. Otherwise, he's just all tired and grumpy, unwilling to properly socialize with anyone but Bellum."

Link pondered everything he knew about Linebeck while he waited in the dark. There was most certainly something wrong with him, and he didn't seem to be the kind to ask for them. Something lurked under the surface for Midna and Ghirahim as well, but nothing as concerning. A hidden bloodlust for Ghirahim, perhaps, the possibility of knowing more than she let on for Midna. Even Link had hidden levels that he himself didn't know of, and not just lost memories. In that sense, they all had something to hide.

Robots went out to fight the Sheikah robot, and the screens were left blank. Some returned, some didn't. As time dragged on, Link was more and more sure that he was going to be the last one sent out. It was subtle, but the Sheikah that watched them kept glancing at Link. Perhaps because of his skill in the prior fights, or perhaps because of the sword he wielded. Either way, it made Link painfully anxious.

Revali and Ashei's robot survived. The pair of groups had spotted each other in the coliseum once again, and Linebeck actually had to grab Midna by the collar of her cloak to stop her from approaching the Rito. Ashei had only sighed. It seemed that Revali had an ample number of enemies. Now, his gaze slipped to the robot with the feathers, who was huddled in the opposite corner.

By the time Link was sent out to fight the Sheikah robot, he was the last to go. Four robots didn't return, and those that did looked a bit haggard. Many had cuts in their weapons, blackened from heat. The arena was left in its flat, sandy form, and a door on the other side opened. Link immediately got into a fighting stance but relaxed slightly when his opponent scuttled out. It looked almost like a spider- six smooth legs connected to a circular base, and a rounded head of sorts with a small blue eye. Link frowned. There was most certainly something else to this thing. He tried to identify the material it was made of, but he drew a blank. It looked most similar to the stuff Link himself was made of.

It scuttled over to Link and seemed to regard him for a moment. Link apprehensively activated the blade of his sword. The robot seemed to stare at him a moment longer, and the head rose up, and spindly arms with weapons similar to Link's sword revealed themselves. It had a short spear with the head made of the neon blue substance, and a brutal-looking axe with the same glow. The sword was shorter and thinner than Link's, but still looked dangerous.

It clambered towards Link with greater speed, but Link rushed at it first. He swung his sword before it managed to attack in retaliation, and his blade left a shallow cut on the base. Link didn't allow himself a moment of frustration- he jumped back before the axe could slice him in half.

The robot circled him with erratic movements, thrusting the spear at him and swinging the axe if he got too close. The sword remained unused, in the back. Link remained quick on his feet, dodging attacks and not daring to use his shield just yet. The spear nearly brushed his side, and Link jumped at it, bringing the sword down on its head. It swiveled and sprung around, looking stunned. Link managed to get in a number of other slashed before the axe came for his side again.

The crowd was going wild by now. Link focused on staying out of range until there was an opening, then found himself backing up into the boundary walls. The neon spearhead came hurtling at Link's stomach, and he strafed to the side just in time. As the tip of the spear collided with the wall, the entire robot shook with the impact, and Link took the opportunity to drive his blade directly into its eye. Sparks flew from the socket, and a low whirring sound the he hadn't noticed before came to a stop. The arms went limp, blades deactivating, and the crowd screamed their approval.

Link stared at the Sheikah posted around the arena on his way back in. They all wore the same thing- tight suits with sturdy armor and scarves over their mouths, short swords clipped to the backs of their belts. Padding beneath the suit told of extra armor. He strode back into the room, and returned to his seat without a word.

Ghirahim looked antsy, reclining and stiffly sitting in his seat and peering around. After a while, Linebeck sighed. "What's wrong?"

"Too many Sheikah," he mumbled. "They make me uncomfortable. Like they'll attack. They look like animals ready to pounce."

"True." Linebeck winced as someone walking by got too close. "They're the worst part." At his side, Midna said nothing. She peered around the crowd, her eyes narrowed in what looked to be suspicion. Linebeck's gaze panned over to her, and he huffed. "Why are both of you so nervous? That's my job."

"Something's off," Midna snapped. She stood up, her orange hair whipping around with the movement. "I'm going to take a walk. See ya after the tournament."

"Would it kill either of you to stay for the whole thing?" Linebeck mused.

"Probably."

"I didn't ask for your opinion, chalk-hair. Don't make me burn that stupid suit of yours."

"I'll make you snort the ashes."

"Gladly, dude-" Linebeck suddenly lost his composure and nearly keeled over laughing. Ghirahim joined him, coughing harshly in between laughs, calming down much more quickly. "I-I hate y-you-" Linebeck rasped, straightening up. "Damn, our sense of humor is crude."

Ghirahim chuckled. "You're a strange boy. Why I feel loyal towards you is beyond me." Around them, the crowd cheered for two robots that began fighting. "You betting this time?"

"Nah. Not in the mood. I don't care unless Link is fighting."

"Ah, me too. They're boring otherwise."

Linebeck peered over at the empty seats in front of him and rest his feet on them. "The only fun part is seeing them get ripped apart. The violence entraps everyone. A primal instinct, I suppose. As for you, you're probably a demon, what with your weird non-tattoo markings and your magic and your weirdly long tongue, so I assume you just like conflict." He stripped off his glove and watched his bronze fingers curl and uncurl into a fist. "What do you think Midna's doing?"

"Who cares." Ghirahim sighed, leaning forward as one of the robots was destroyed. "None of our business, hm? We shouldn't pry."

"You're boring."

Midna strode purposefully around the perimeter of the coliseum, glowering at each Sheikah she saw. What were they doing? Looking out for Yiga? Probably. Unlikely, though. They didn't need to watch the outside. Midna stalked over to one of the white-haired Sheikah, putting on an air of curiosity. "I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, but I'm too curious. What is it that you Sheikah are doing?"

"Watching for Yiga," the girl stated. Her gaze didn't shift. Midna waved a hand in front of her eyes and earned a glare. "You are distracting me."

"There's nothing to watch for. The Yiga don't usually attack crowded places. There are more Sheikah inside, too. Besides, I was attacked along with a friend a week ago and your comrades did nothing but watch."

The girl didn't falter, she didn't hesitate. "Perhaps they didn't notice."

"I've heard rumors of Sheikah ignoring some attacks." It was true. Midna hated gossip, avoided rumors about individuals, but her ears always twitched at the mention of Yiga attacks. People mentioned times when Yiga had cornered them, and a Sheikah had come to their rescue. Other times, there were mentions of Sheikah who only watched- even when someone was injured. Those stories turned Midna's blood to oil that fueled the flames of her anger against the Sheikah.

The girl's eyes narrowed. "I'm... I'm not sure about the others, but I would die to see the Yiga brought down. There's evidence that some have ignored attacks? Shouldn't you be watching the tournament? Why must you talk with me?" She was looking rather angry now.

Midna sighed, holding up her hands. "I'm sorry. This has been bothering me for the past few months. I've tried asking others. Are you comfortable talking with me about the situation between the Yiga and the Sheikah? I want to figure out why some of the Sheikah are slacking, why this whole thing is going on."

The Sheikah sighed and glanced around for a few moments. She ripped her mouth cover down and muttered, "Fine. I want to figure this out. If others are not helping others, I want to figure it out. If I can get some evidence, I'd love to show it to Zelda if I ever get the chance to meet with her." She began to follow Midna, then paused. "You aren't Yiga, right?"

"How do I prove that?" Midna slowly asked, pausing. "I dunno how to reassure you."

"...I'm a new recruit. I can fight you off if needed." The girl sighed. With her mask down, she looked young, soft-faced and uninjured. Her eyes, like the rest of the Sheikah, were red, and harbored a sharpness that didn't match her features. "I'm a believer in honest protection," she hissed. "What do you need?"

"I want to do some digging," Midna murmured. "I might meet with Zelda soon, so I could ask about it later. But, for now, I'd like to ask a few questions."

Link collapsed on his bench with a heavy sigh, a dull ache in his hips. Had he been human, they'd be bruised- his opponent slammed their claymore against his waist multiple times before getting decapitated. The next few matches would thin the numbers, so he decided to see if he could doze before his next match.

In the crowd, he'd seen something odd with Linebeck and Ghirahim- the two were laughing and conversing rather actively, much differently than both usually acted, more outgoing. Midna was missing, probably attending to some kind of task. Like Ghirahim in the prior day. Seeing Linebeck more outgoing and happier felt right, but he knew that it was fake to some degree. All three of them acted rather strange. The others often called Midna mischievous, but she seemed to be the one looking after the other two, like an older sister. She would make fun of the other two, however, and had a sarcastic edge. On the other hand, Ghirahim had referenced an aimless 'loyalty' of his, and, from what Link had gathered, he was protective of the group, mainly Linebeck.

They seemed to revolve around Linebeck in some way. Even Link did. He was a connection of sorts between all of them.

Link had woken before everyone else that morning and had dug up the history book from their bag. He read through it a bit more and found that a number of pages had been ripped up. Other parts alluded to a 'Legendary Hero', but he'd never found a name or appearance. A prophecy of a cycle of sorts was also mentioned but had been mostly erased. What was left in the book was a simple history. Link had shut the book after everyone else woke and discovered Linebeck looking forlorn in his blankets.

On the way back to the coliseum, they had stopped at Medli's place again, and managed to meet Komali. He seemed a bit rude, but Link found himself wanting to know him better. The Rito boy had stared at him for a few moments, then quietly asked, "You chose to stay with these nerds?" The others didn't react in a negative way, so Link only shrugged.

In hindsight, he didn't really explain his attachment to the others. As he sat in the dim room, robots herded in and out and some never returning, he realized he had little motivation to stay with the others aside from 'They found me'. Link didn't get much of a chance to think on it too much- the Sheikah snapped their fingers in his face. "You're up next," they said. Link glanced past them. Revali and Ashei's robot was the only one left. If it could have facial expressions, Link knew it would be glaring at him.

The arena this time was heavily wooded. The trees were without leaves, presumably so that the audience could see. He and his opponent were given a few seconds to disperse, and Link spent his time running into the small forest and activating his sword. The other robot only had a steel spear. He could try and cut it in half and destroy it from there.

The monotone voice ordered them to begin fighting, and the spindly spear robot lunged at Link from behind a tree. The spearhead slammed into the shield, and Link staggered back. Already, he could tell it would be a tough fight.

Midna wrote down notes as quickly as she could, clinging onto each of the Sheikah girl's words. "...We're trained to withstand any kind of situation- thunderstorm, snowstorm, fires, floods, extreme heat or cold, windy areas, anything. We focus on defense and chipping away at our enemies. The Yiga are similar, being twisted offshoots, but they are more attack oriented. We're both fast, so we're intensely trained to be faster and prepared for everything."

Midna nodded, and murmured, "Are you told to protect people?"

"We're forced to swear it upon our lives by Impa, who trains us, but we all directly obey Zelda. If anyone is slacking, I want to bring them to Zelda on their knees," she hissed.

Midna raised an eyebrow. They were huddled in an alleyway, and this girl had some kind of pent up hate against the Yiga. "What's your beef with those kinds of people?"

"My father was one of them. When I was just a child, he allowed my mother to be killed by the Yiga, then abandoned us. I had to raise my sister on my own. She's training to be a Sheikah as we speak. I want to weed out everyone who would let innocent lives be lost." She got to her feet and left the alleyway. Midna followed her. "I take it you have some kind of plan."

"Yes," Midna said. "It's... admittedly not very good."

"At least you're willing to take action. What's your plan?"

"If my group's robot wins the tournament, we'll get to meet Zelda in the castle. I can see about Sheikah training and try and see if I can't get in. I want to understand the friction between you and the Yiga. Why do they fight you?"

The girl sighed, glancing up and down the mostly empty street. "We call them a rebellion since they seem to want to overthrow the castle and get rid of the current ruling class. That being Zelda and the rest of the Sheikah." She sighed, cracking her knuckles. Each sharp pop made Midna jump, even as she watched. "They've... never tried to raid the castle. They're smart in that respect. We haven't been able to pinpoint their base, and we've never been able to identify a single member's identity."

"No patterns? No... clues?"

The Sheikah shook her head and crossed her arms. "We've tried in these past 200 years. They seem to try and spread rumors that whatever happened 200 years ago was caused by the Sheikah, but, in truth, no one knows for sure. As far as we know, everyone who lived in the city and surrounding villages 200 years ago were killed."

Midna nodded, jotting down some more notes. "I'll just focus on getting some insight into the Sheikah. Or the Yiga. We'll see what happens after my robot wins." She smiled. "Have you seen his matches?"

The girl frowned. "I watched the matches yesterday. Which was he?"

"With the holo-sword... with the blue blade. Wood shield."

The girl's eyes narrowed. "That's your robot? Where'd you find that sword?"

"Town ruins," Midna said. She slipped the notepad in her pocket and walked away. "See ya around." She waved at the Sheikah while she walked away and sighed inwardly as the girl followed her. "Why are you following me?"

"I need to return to my post."

"Ah. We'll go together then. No questions."

Link deftly blocked each attack, but never had a chance to catch his breath. The robot facing him down showed no signs of tiring. Link growled to himself, waited for the spear to retract, and jumped back and turned to sprint away into the trees. The dull clunking of his opponent running after him made his heart skip a beat. Spears. Damn spears. Weak, but far too effective. He skidded to a stop and stowed his shield on his back, his sword in both hands.

The spear flew towards his face, and Link dropped down and rolled out of the way. The spearhead sank into the ground by his feet as he got up. He slashed at the robot, taking off a foot, but it balanced evenly on one leg and sent the spear into Link's abdomen. He bit back a scream as very real pain flooded his senses. The spear was embedded deep in his stomach, and the robot began to withdraw it and finish the job.

Link fumbled blindly with his sword and sliced the spear in half, releasing him and allowing him to stagger back. He dug the spearhead out and threw it at his enemy. It dodged nimbly out of the way and discarded the rest of its weapon, tackling Link. It knocked him to the ground, sending another flash of white-hot agony rocketing through his body, and he fended away punches with one hand. His other lay pinned beneath a steel leg, his hand losing its grip on the sword.

With a desperate groan, Link sloppily switched his grip on the sword, and heard a sizzling noise as the blade cut through the robot's leg. It faltered above him, and Link took the opportunity to throw it off it him. It floundered on the ground for only a moment, going limp as the neon blade detached its head. The faint buzzing in his ears muted the crowd's shouts, and he felt himself swim in and out of consciousness. He collapsed once the land around him glowed and turned back to a sandy expanse.

Ghirahim leaned forward, staring down at the fight below. "Can Link bleed out?" The end of the spear was ripped out by the robot, and he staggered back as the other tackled him.

"He has no fluids that substitute as blood, no." Linebeck idly scratched at his beard. "He has artificial organs, but I doubt any were hit. He'll win because of his sword if nothing else."

The pair of robots struggled on the ground, and they watched Link cut off the other's leg, then decapitated it. Neither Ghirahim nor Linebeck cheered, but Bellum let out a small whoop. The cheering went on for a few moments, and Linebeck hastily whispered, "Is Link swaying?"

"Yes, he is," Ghirahim said, just as Link fell to the ground.

"Shit," Linebeck hissed. "If they disqualify him for that-" He got up and vaulted over the empty seats in front of him, weaving through the seats to the exit. Ghirahim sighed and followed after him, shoving aside people who got in his way without a second thought. Down in the arena, the Sheikah gathered up both Link and the damaged robot, staring at Link in a quizzical manner. If memory served correct, both would be brought in and the winner announced by the lone Sheikah.

Across the arena, Linebeck spotted Revali and Ashei making their way down as well, and he practically leapt down the stairs into the dim hallways. It took a bit of running, but Linebeck managed to intercept the Sheikah, who was dragging the pair of robots into the locker room. "Hey! Hey, uh, who won?"

The Sheikah glanced up at him, and gruffly muttered, "The helmeted one would have, if he hadn't deactivated."

"H-he isn't deactivated!"

The Sheikah paused and shot a skeptical glance at the engineer. "Prove it." They let Link fall limp on the floor.

Linebeck jogged over and knelt by Link, feeling around for the console on the back of his neck. "I repaired him," he mumbled. "He just... dozes off, if you will. He's never shut off."

"'He'?"

"...He prefers to be referred to as such." His fingers found a small switch, and he flipped it on, and shut the little door as Link's eyes blinked open. "There we go."

Link peered around, and stared up at the Sheikah, who grunted. "Well, we have a winner then." They looked over at Linebeck. "This is one impressive robot, I must say."

"Thanks, I repaired and restored him."

"A flawless job. Your winnings of one-hundred thousand rupees can be picked up in the Sheikah office down the hall, and you will be told when you can meet with Zelda."

Linebeck blinked. In truth, he'd forgotten that they would have a chance to meet with Zelda. Bellum shot an interested glance back at Linebeck. "Cool," he said, hiding his near overwhelming excitement about the reward money. He helped Link to his feet, fighting back a gag and a shudder at the contact between them and strode off with Link in tow. They ran into Ghirahim, and Linebeck snapped his fingers and pointed at him. "We won."

"Obviously."

"Let's pick up the money and meet up... Somewhere. Somewhere for lunch."

They found the Sheikah office located near the entrance and were mildly surprised to find Midna among the trio of Sheikah inside the dim room. Ghirahim scowled at her. "How did you get in here?"

"I made a friend," Midna smugly said, pointing at a young-looking Sheikah girl. "I take it we won?"

"Obviously," Linebeck sighed. "Have I ever let you two down in these tournaments? My handiwork is always as flawless as Ghirahim likes to pretend he is."

The Sheikah girl besides Midna glanced at her two fellow Sheikah, and then at Linebeck. "You created this robot?"

"Repaired. In truth, I found it in pretty bad shape out in the junkyard."

"I can attest," Midna said. "He showed it to us at first. Awful shape. I didn't expect him to restore it so completely."

The girl nodded, her eyes never leaving Linebeck. "And your prosthetics? Did you create those as well? None of us have any idea how you get such perfect and fluid movement."

Midna, Ghirahim, Linebeck, and even Link froze. "...My what?"

"Your bronze arm and leg."

Linebeck coughed. Those were a secret. If they knew despite that, then he had little reason to trust them. "I... don't know if I created them or not." The truth was ambiguous enough for him to decide it couldn't hurt. "The three of us have amnesia, so we know little about our pasts. We're not here to talk about that, though- we did win, after all."

The pair of Sheikah in the back of the room seemed to sigh. They produced a rather small sack and dropped it on the table, and Midna snatched it up before Linebeck could move. The look she gave him reinforced that he couldn't be trusted to handle the group's money. Link squinted at it, then glanced questioningly at Bellum. The little AI took note of his confusion and said, "It's probably all large red rupees or something more worthwhile. They're small, like little pebbles, remember?"

Link didn't dare nod but blinked his appreciation. The pain from the cut in his stomach flashed through him with each step out of the coliseum, but he didn't tell Linebeck about it until they had all of their stuff. He removed his helmet and stowed away the sword and shield once the coliseum was out of sight. "Hey, Linebeck?"

"Mhm?"

"When are you going to repair this hole in my stomach? It hurts a lot."

"Later," Linebeck said, waving a hand. "You can't tune it out?"

"No. It's almost constant, but it's getting easy to ignore." Link crossed his arms over the wound, uncomfortable with the rip in his tunic as well. "I at least need something to put over this."

Linebeck frowned at him, then quickened his pace to walk between Ghirahim and Midna. They were walking with the crowd around them, returning to the city district with all the graffiti. Since they were all adjacent, Link could better compare their heights; Midna was the tallest, then Linebeck, then Ghirahim. Link usually had to look up to make eye contact with any of them. Glancing around, he found himself to be only a small bit shorter than most other Hylians, while other races were closer to the others' heights.

The sound of a protest caught Link's attention, and Linebeck tossed Midna's cloak at him. "Use this," he muttered. Midna looked miffed at the loss of her cloak but said nothing. Link silently resolved to return it at the first convenience as he fastened it around his shoulders. Bellum floated back over to him and quietly said, "We're gonna head to a sushi place, apparently."

"Sounds good."

"Yeah. It's good stuff, according to the others." Bellum started to go back to Linebeck, then paused. "If it was up to me, I'd want to go somewhere that had tougher meat."

"You can't taste stuff."

Bellum huffed and sped back to Linebeck's shoulder. The engineer momentarily glanced down at him, then smiled. Link didn't hear what he said, but assumed it was something about what he'd said. The crowds were smaller in the small square they entered, a fountain with assorted storefronts at the perimeters of the open space. Link walked in the shadows of his friends, nervous of the other people and with the pain jabbing into his stomach.

The place they were looking for was apparently run by yet another Rito- one of Revali's kind, with most of his features being birdlike. Link whispered the restaurant's name, 'The Slippery Falcon', under his breath. Bellum floated back to him and said something about a stupid name and settled on his shoulder. A few lanterns hung from the ceiling, but most light came in through the windows.

They found a table tucked away in a corner, and Midna sat with her back to the rest of the restaurant. She set the sack of rupees on the table and grabbed Linebeck's wrist as he reached for it. "Don't," she said, meeting his dilated eyes. He tugged his hand away with a shudder and sat with his head down as if he were an ashamed child. Midna peered over at Link. "I want my cloak back." He unclasped and handed it to her without a word.

Midna opened the sack and allowed the other to look it. All of them were red, a big larger than a usual rupee. Each was worth two hundred, so, with some quick math, Link muttered, "Five-hundred of those things?"

"Yep. We could divvy it up and each of us could take a hundred and twenty-five, but Linebeck's too good a thief for me to bother." She shot an amused glance at him. "I'll keep it for now. We should pay for lunch with any money we brought before winning. Providing we have money. I have, like, twenty."

"Thirty," Ghirahim offered.

"I spent it on the shield," Linebeck sighed. "I'm broke."

"Of course," Midna said, closing the sack and putting it away. "At least this place is cheap. Link, do you, by chance, have any money?"

"I have a blue rupee," Link said, withdrawing it from his pocket. He set it on the table. Bellum scoffed, and Link resisted the urge to bat him away. "Linebeck, I have a question."

"What?"

"Why is Bellum such a jerk?" An indignant squeak emanated from the AI, and Bellum shot back over to Linebeck.

"Honestly? No idea." Linebeck leaned back in his chair, looking past Midna at the rest of the people inside. "Are we going to get anything?"

Ghirahim shrugged. "I don't care. I'm not too hungry."

"I am," Link softly said.

Linebeck sat up. "You feel hunger?"

"And pain and soreness. No fatigue, but I get reminders that I regularly need to doze off." Link frowned. "I might as well just be alive, with this level of detail."

Linebeck stood up and gestured for Link to do the same. "Cool. I have some parts. If you'd like, I could try and fix a little bit of that cut. We can do it out the back," he muttered, pointing at the exit.

Link followed him out and into a back alley, where he sat against the wall with his tunic pushed up. Linebeck looked just as uncomfortable as he felt, with his hands flinching away from Link's wound if he moved too suddenly. He had a small bag of parts with him and promised to assess the damage and close it up by the time they got back to the inn. Link pursed his lips, trying to avert his eyes, but he eventually sighed. "I'm kinda uncomfortable with this."

"Why? I repaired you while you were nude like, two weeks ago."

"No, no, no, it's not that. I'm uncomfortable with my win. Those Sheikah guys are pretty shady. I'm worried about meeting Zelda."

"Me too. Let's not dwell on it." Linebeck flinched as a cat hopped out from behind a trashcan and knocked it over before sprinting to the street. "Anything else?" He took a needle and some black string from the bag.

"Uh. I dunno."

"Cool. I've got a question of my own. Have you ever felt attracted to anyone since waking up?" Link only blinked, twitching as two robotic fingers slid into the wound. "Any men, women, other? Or is it too difficult a question?" The fingers withdrew and he got to work on stitching up the torn skin. "Is it a hard question?"

Link slowly asked, "How did you know that you were in love with Damien?"

"...We'd known each other for a few months, and we considered each other to be very good friends. I found myself feeling safe around him, trusting him with small touches, and I found a lot of enjoyment in watching him work. Just the thought of him made me happy, and that was about when I realized something was up. I told Damien about it, and, over the course of a few days of talking and spending more time together, we realized that we were in love. It wasn't anything drastic and fast, just a slow realization. Have you ever heard of 'love at first sight'?"

"Yeah."

"I think that's bullshit. That's lust rather than love. You can't properly love someone without properly knowing and trusting them. Deciding that you love someone on first sight is, while still attraction, essentially lust."

"You have a lot of time to think about these things, huh?" Link asked, aware of the twinkle in his own eyes. "I don't think I've felt lust. I don't think I can, to be quite honest, but I haven't had much time. We'll be walking in the streets and I'll see a woman and think 'wow she's beautiful' or see a man and think 'wow he's handsome' but I doubt I've felt any actual attraction." Link let his tunic fall into place once Linebeck finished stitching him up.

"That makes sense," Linebeck murmured. "I can see a handsome man on the streets and feel a twinge of attraction, talk with some guy for a day and want to get to know him better. I'd say the longing to be with someone in a romantic manner is a different kind of attraction than lust. Seeing someone and thinking they're good-looking for a fleeting moment isn't really an indicator of love."

"You don't think?" Link asked.

"Yep. For example. I think Midna is gorgeous- and she is. A knock-out beauty, and you know you agree. She's hands-down one of the best-looking women I've seen."

Link frowned. "But you don't like women."

"I'm gay, not blind," Linebeck snapped, getting to his feet. "You get my point, though, right?" He glanced around for a moment, locating Bellum hovering over the knocked over trashcan. "We should get back inside before someone sees us back here."

Link nodded, straightening his tunic. "I do have another question, though."

"Shoot."

"Do you feel like this group relies on you? Push aside any ego you have and think about it. It seems like we all... are connected by you. You seem more important than the rest of us, with more to you."

Linebeck shrugged. "I'll think about it."

They walked back out into the bright street, garnering a few odd glances, but no other attention from that. Linebeck sighed to himself, Bellum zooming around his head in quick circles. The calm they both felt was shattered by shouts and screams from the restaurant, a few people running out. Link sprinted in, his artificial heartbeat practically skyrocketing.

As he both dreaded and expected, five Yiga soldiers were inside the restaurant, terrorizing patrons. Ghirahim had his own sword at the ready and was immediately exchanging blows with one of the sickle wielding Yiga. Midna was without her spear, but still urged people to run, fending off an attacking Yiga as best she could. Link ran in and was immediately tackled by a Yiga with a katana aimed for his throat.

Link did his best to kick his attacker off, their mask the same as the others, a hood over their head and a distinctive long black scarf tied around their neck. Without a proper weapon, Link resorted to shoving and kneeing in the groin, with no avail or progress. Whoever this guy was, they were strong, taking every hit with minor grunts and flinches. The katana blade neared his throat, and a knife was suddenly flying through the air at the Yiga. The only reason it didn't end up three inches into their skull was because they disappeared in a cloud of paper amulets a heartbeat before impact.

Link scrambled to his feet, breathing a quick 'thanks' as Linebeck rushed over to retrieve his knife. Ghirahim had managed to get rid of three of the other Yiga, so the last sickle-wielding Yiga was locked in a swift melee with him. It was a close fight, but Ghiram nearly thrusting his blade into their abdomen forced them to disappear away.

The shopkeeper nervously peered over his counter, and the rest of the people inside and immediately outside the restaurant looked shaky. Their eyes locked on the four, and Midna strode by Link, grabbing his shirt collar. Ghirahim followed suit, and Linebeck grabbed their bag and stuff before racing after them. No words were spoken on the way back to the inn, but it was obvious that they had been shaken by the abrupt attack.

Linebeck silently repaired Link's shoulder and reclined in bed for the rest of the night. Ghirahim was antsy, and Midna scribbled in a notebook. The entire group was quiet, almost thoughtful after their ruined lunch. Link sat on his bed, then slowly asked, "Why do you think they attacked?"

"They like to cause chaos," Ghirahim muttered.

"No, no..." Link frowned. "I get the feeling they were targeting us."

Midna nodded. "Yeah. Its makes sense for them to try and eliminate the winners of the tournament, since we're going to end up meeting Zelda, too. I wonder if she'll have us do something about them."

"Makes sense," Linebeck sighed. "Though, what could we do? If the Sheikah, a highly trained army of soldiers, can't do anything, then how can a group made up of a narcissistic demon, an admittedly level-headed whatever-the-hell-Midna-is, an unstable and self-deprecating engineer, and then some 200 year-old robot bring about much real change?" Linebeck sat up and glanced at them all. "But, hey, who knows. We're something new."

"So was your honesty there," Ghirahim grunted. He raised his arms to block the pillow that Linebeck threw at him.