A/N

Chapter names are hard. Or maybe I'm just bad at them.

Hope you enjoy this chapter, I feel like it's the first actual step into the main plot.

Impa strode up the stairs with a purpose, eyes darting from side to side. She watched each Sheikah guard that she passed, and they nodded with respect at their former mentor. She was a stern and tough-looking woman, old scars decorating her face and a certain fire blazing in her eyes. Everyone knew to respect her.

She emerged onto the main balcony connected to the castle's main study. The moonlight shone down on the city below, and Impa stood by Zelda without a word. The queen was silent, as she always was, looking down at her city and the lights flickering in the buildings' windows. Impa glanced over at the queen, at her pale skin and blonde hair. "...You're up rather late."

"I'm thinking," Zelda slowly said, her sky-blue eyes flicking over to meet Impas'. Her expression was impassive, but something danced in her eyes. "Did you learn about the team that won the tournament?"

Impa nodded. "There are a number of mysteries around their robot. They got attacked by the Yiga yesterday as well."

Zelda slowly nodded. "Yiga attacks are common. Has anyone been killed by the Yiga?"

"...Only interfering Sheikah soldiers. They have yet to kill a citizen." Impa shifted from foot to foot. "There are also rumors of some Sheikah ignoring attacks. A soldier of mine came to me with concerns on that subject. One of the winning team's members asked her about it. This winning group seems that they may have good intentions. They'll be allowed to stay for a few days, correct?"

Zelda nodded. She seemed aloof. "Have my personal guards prepare."

"You have a list of what to tell them and what to ask them?"

"Yes." A new light danced in Zelda's eyes as she crossed her arms. "Too think that it would be them..."

"Hm?"

"Have you done your research on these people?"

Impa shrugged. "I suppose. Only one of the three of them has a recorded last name, and their robot seems to be nameless."

"What are their names? I forgot."

"...Midna is the woman in the group, and she doesn't seem aware of what she is. Oddly enough, Ghirahim, the demon, is among them. The most mundane is their Hylian engineer, Linebeck. His last name is Lancrester, but he's the first recorded person with that last name since the disaster two centuries ago. It may be a pseudonym. They... they refer to their robot as 'Link'. They've been passing him off as human to citizens, perhaps to avoid thievery or... something like that. You could ask them about that."

A thin smile spread across Zelda's face. "Of course. I'll be sure to ask them each a few questions. For now, we should prepare." She turned and strode away, leaving Impa in the moonlight.

Link was practically dragged out of bed by Ghirahim and Midna, Bellum providing running commentary in the background while Linebeck twirled a cigarette between two of his fingers. It was an odd first minute of consciousness, and he understood when he realized it was late morning. They needed to figure out the circumstances of getting to the castle. He was forced to get ready in under a minute, then dragged out of the inn room by his overenthusiastic friends.

There were less people than they thought would be out in the streets. Midna pulled aside a Gerudo woman and asked about the lack of people. She quickly said that there had been a string of Yiga attacks in the night and that many people were nervous. Midna then asked her where the castle was, and she pointed them in the right direction. Link wrung his hands and glanced around while they walked through the quiet city.

"What do you think Zelda's like?" Link softly asked. "I've never seen her."

"None of us have actually met her," Midna mused. "She is beautiful, though. Looks a bit like you, with pale skin, blue eyes, blonde hair. We might meet Impa, the official leader of the Sheikah, first though."

"Why?"

"She acts as Zelda's retainer, protecting and obeying her every moment of the day." Linebeck removed his cigarette from his mouth and peered at the burning end. "They're probably very close." He set it between his teeth and glanced sidelong at Bellum, who had been silent since Link was dragged out of the room.

The one who looked the least happy was Ghirahim, kicking at stray newspapers and pebbles. He had his sword clipped at his belt, as if expecting to fight. His gaze was flicking from side-to-side, and his kept brushing his hair out of his eyes to better look around. Link decided that it was best to ignore him. After some time of silence, Linebeck diverged from the group and walked practically half a block behind them while the rest of them talked. Link peered after his shoulder and found that he was talking with Bellum.

"...So I doubt you'd be let in."

Midna crossed her arms. "They only employ those from Kakariko?" She pursed her lips, then blinked. "I should've realized. I forgot that the Sheikah are also a race in their own rights..." She laughed weakly.

Link frowned. "But the Sheikah are Hylian."

"Ah, they are," Ghirahum mused, "But there's a crucial difference. They're a different type of Hylian. They always have white hair and red eyes without fail. History implies that the red eyes took time to be consistent, but they are more naturally agile and sneaky."

"Do robots count as a race?" Link asked, spotting a small cafe with a sign advertising robot staffing. "I mean, they're created by everyone else and then used by them. We're practically like items."

"I'd say it depends on who you ask," Midna said. They were only a few blocks from the castle now, walking right towards the ruined castle town. "If you were to ask any Goron, they'd say that they consider robots to be another race."

Link nodded, thinking of the burly, rocky-backed race. He'd had yet to talk with a Goron, but they all seemed friendly. All of the other races were nice to him. "...What about the others?"

"The Gerudo are split, older women thinking of them as tools, younger girls accepting them as another race. It's similar with the Zora. Most of the Rito accept them as well. We dunno about the Sheikah, but those in Kakariko village actively live among them." Midna smiled to herself. "We should take you some time! It's really cool."

That did certainly sound interesting. Link slid his hands into his trouser pockets and nodded to himself. They were close to the ruin's gates, now. A pair of Sheikah were perched on the ends, glaring down at them like gargoyles. They didn't move as the group neared them. Linebeck jogged up to rejoin the group and shot an anxious glower up at the Sheikah.

The Sheikah did nothing as they walked past some blackened ruins and pushed the heavy metal gates open.

They opened into what could be described as a burnt mess. It was obvious that the former castle town had be prosperous and lively, with large wooden and metal buildings. Now, what they saw was twisted metal and charred wood heaps, ruins collapsed into the old cobblestone streets. For a moment, Link looked up at the Sheikah and wondered why they never rebuilt it. Peering back at the castle, it was evident that some parts of the marvelous stone building were still caved in and broken. Even after 200 years, it seemed that even the Sheikah were having a hard time rebuilding.

The two Sheikah hopped down from their perches and followed them. Linebeck was obviously nervous, rubbing at the back of his neck and covering his eyes with his goggles. Ghirahim walked with his chin up, almost defiant. Link and Midna exchanged a curious glance and turned their gazes to a balcony opening to the rest of the city. Someone stood there, looking down at them. They had white hair- another Sheikah.

The two Sheikah shadowing them herded them onto a cobblestone bridge over a moat of murky water. There was no wind, and no birds flew above the castle. The Sheikah on the balcony turned and walked into the castle once Link's group reached the castle gates. Link stared up at the symbol carved onto the metal and wood gates, the wingcrest and the Triforce. The stone gates curled around the entire perimeter of the castle.

The castle courtyard was much nicer- green and grassy, a large garden with trees and flowers and all kinds of plant life. A few other Sheikah were seen tending to the plants.

They stopped at a small stone gazebo in front of the castle's main entrance. Sitting at a table in the middle was a woman with light blonde hair, watching them approach. She had a thin smile on her face. Something about her made Link nervous. He knew that she was Zelda before she introduced herself. "You are the winners, but I've never seen a robot with such fluid movement and skill."

She glanced over at Link, who did his best to remain impassive. Zelda then looked at the other three in turn, one by one. "Did you create him?"

"We found him," Ghirahim said. "He repaired him," he pointed at Linebeck. "He's our engineer. So, uh... what does all of this entail?"

Zelda pursed her lips, blinking slowly. "Admittedly, I've never seen a robot as advanced as this one. Even ones that the Sheikah spend months on have strange movements." She smiled again. "On the other hand, congratulations once again. It's rare for anyone to get to come into the castle. I was almost certain that that Hylian girl and her Rito companion would win." She got to her feet, eyeing the two Sheikah. "You may leave." They nodded and silently left.

Link peered at the others. Midna was wearing a blank expression, but there was interest in her eyes. Ghirahim was frowning, arms crossed. Linebeck still had his eyes covered by the goggles, Bellum hovering motionlessly at his side. Zelda grinned again. "You're certainly an odd group. I can take it you're all a bit nervous. I am a bit of a recluse queen, after all. I'll show you to your rooms, and then give you a tour of the castle. You'll be allowed to stay for a week. Follow me, please." She gestured for them to follow her. Link grabbed onto Midna's jacket sleeve and allowed her to tow him along with the others.

They entered into the silent main hall of the castle, a near-cavernous hall with tapestries with woven scenes of places at the edges of Hyrule. One was a mountain of types, another a village nestled in grassy hills. In the back of Link's mind, he hoped that they were real. Linebeck was walking more slowly, staring up at them, and Ghirahim had his burning glared trained on Zelda's back. Midna allowed her gaze to travel. The blue carpet they walked on was lightly embroidered with gold threads. They were alone in the hall.

Link pondered whether or not he should talk. The others cautioned him against it. He kept his mouth shut while they walked. As they left the entrance hall, Link found himself envying Bellum- able to speak with only a single person hearing, a secret to everyone else. That kind of life sounded lonely, though. The doorway opened into a courtyard within the castle, a number of Sheikah soldiers in the middle of training not even stopping to look at the newcomers.

Link grabbed onto Midna's sleeve with his other hand. He felt nervous and decided that she was the safest place for him during the tour. The others relaxed as Zelda showed them around the castle, explaining the uses for the rooms. The enormous library that Midna almost lost herself in, the armory and blacksmith that they had to drag Ghirahim out of, the workshop and tech lab that Linebeck could just barely force himself away from. Link didn't find too many of the extravagant rooms too interesting but wanted to run down the halls and find the unrepaired areas, the places that were caved in and broken, like the world outside.

Zelda seemed aloof, but also hyper-attentive. She seemed aware of everything they did, her eyes following every movement. She certainly had an air of royalty and professionalism along with responsibility, but also loneliness. Not loneliness in the sad way- loneliness in the way that she wasn't used to other people. There was a noticeable lack of servants aside from the Sheikah. Each hallway was lit by an orange-glowing electronic light. The material holding each light in place seemed similar to what Link was made of.

They were shown the long dining hall, a few guard houses and the guard's chambers. Both were empty, and Zelda informed them that it was because the Sheikah usually only returned to their chambers to rest. She took them through assorted halls and showed them to a number of balconies. Not once did Link see the Sheikah woman that had watched them enter.

"We have a couple rooms that you can use," Zelda offered, leading them to the eastern wing of the castle. "However, two of them have enough space for all four of you. You may decide."

"We'll stick together," Ghirahim muttered. His voice was less hostile than Link expected, and he was grateful for his obvious restraint. "Do those rooms have four beds?"

Zelda nodded. "Yes, one for each of you." She glanced over at Link. "You do sleep, correct?"

Link blinked. He slowly nodded.

"Good. I'll allow you the rest of the day to yourselves. What exactly do you want to achieve here? You may leave early, but that's up to you."

"We're just curious about what we could learn, y'know?" Midna's smile was genuine.

"Don't like her," Ghirahim muttered.

"Why?" Midna asked, tossing a pillow at him. The room they had been allowed to stay in was spacious and perfect for the four of them. It was lit by electric lights much like the ones outside. Linebeck had managed to pry one out of the ceiling to inspect. Each bed was large with three blankets draped over the comfortable mattress, a pair of bedside tables on each side of each bed. Midna slid off her bed and met Ghirahim at the table in the middle of the room. "She was nice, man. You were an asshole."

The demon scoffed. "Something seemed off. What do you think, Linebeck?"

"Seemed fine to me," Linebeck said, scratching at the lamp's material with his razor. "I'm going to check out that lab later today. It looked pretty cool. What about the rest of you?"

"I'm going to check out the training grounds," Ghirahim sighed. "Maybe teach the Sheikah here a few new lessons in swordplay. Wanna come with, Link?"

"Sure. How..." Link wrung his hands, sitting up in his bed. "How should I act? Zelda seems to know that there's more to me than there appears. We can't keep doing this. I mean, you've introduced me as human to some people, while as a robot in the tournament. That's not going to last long."

He smiled weakly, uncomfortable as all eyes were on him. All gazes then turned to Linebeck. The engineer blinked. "What."

Ghirahim sighed. "You found and repaired him. You decide."

"Uh. Let's keep it a secret, but don't act like it's a secret. If someone asks if he's a robot, just agree and go on with it. Act like we expect everyone to think he's a robot without telling them." Linebeck poked the glass of the lamp. "Whatever. Just be careful about it." He waved his hand dismissively. He had taken off his coat and rolled up his sleeves, so a good portion of his robotic arm was visible. The bronze-colored wires and strips of metal covering inner wiring and mechanisms glinted in the light.

Link glanced over at Midna. "What are you gonna do?"

She shrugged. "I'll look around a bit more. I'll maybe check out the library. Who knows?" Midna reached up and tugged her cloak hood over her head. "Maybe I'll sneak around a bit. Maybe I can see if I can out sneak the Sheikah, eh?"

"Don't make a fool out of yourself," Ghirahim snapped. He pulled his saber from the bag on the table and threw the wooden sword at Link. "Let's go. I'm tired of being around you nerds." Link nodded and slid off his bed, leaving the room at Ghirahim's heels. Link left the sword at his belt and stared around the hall as they exited the eastern wing.

"Do you remember where the training grounds were?"

Ghirahim shrugged. He hopped down the last few steps, nudging the carpet with his foot. "We can just wander." He peered down the hall. "Maybe we can find something she doesn't want us to find."

Link scowled. "Why are you so insistent about being suspicious about Zelda?" He peered out any windows they passed, catching glimpses of the city or the junkyard outside. "She's been nice. It's a little off, but you're just going to cause us all a bunch of anxiety." He went silent as a pair of Sheikah soldiers walked by them. He waited until he couldn't hear their footsteps before continuing. "I think the grounds are down the left hall, then a pair of rights."

Ghirahim scowled. "Such a stickler for the rules."

"What-"

"Let's wander. I'd like to see every nook and cranny of this place. You do want to explore it, correct? C'mon, have a sense of adventure."

Link said nothing and sighed, understanding that he no long had the ability to disagree. It would be a time waster, at least. He could find something interesting, maybe. Something to provide a hint to his past.

Linebeck tossed the lamp at Midna. "Any thoughts?"

She shrugged and turned it over in her hands. They'd managed to figure out how to turn it on and off, connecting and disconnecting a pair of wires from the base. "It's like the stuff Link's made of, right?"

"Yeah," Linebeck muttered. "Same smoth black shit, with the blue or orange glowing. In Link, it mostly serves as poles or beams to hold things in place, a few times in the shapes of bones and such. It covers his artificial heart and artificial brain. He's got a few weird 'organs' but those are the only ones cased in this Sheikah stuff."

Midna nodded and poked at the casing around the actual light. "What do you think this stuff is?"

"Reinforced fiberglass, I bet, who knows."

She set the lamp down. "Do you think Link was made by the Sheikah?" It was a theory that had been on her mind since they found him. He was so complicated and well made, but it would be a bit problematic if he was Sheikah made. If he was, the Sheikah could possibly make him work for them.

Linebeck shook his head, to her relief. "Nope. Have you seen their robots? None of them are human like. They are entirely made of this stuff. Link is a mixture of so many different things, a unique style. His creator may have had relations with the Sheikah, but the steel, bits of wood, fabric, and even some rubber implies that they worked on their own." He crossed his arms and walked away from the table. He was silent for a few moments, perhaps listening to Bellum. He sighed to himself. "I'm going to check out that lab now." He swept his coat up off his bed and made for the door. "See you later."

He shut the door quietly behind him. Midna seemed awfully interested in the library, telling him about what she hoped to find. For a moment, Linebeck considered going there himself to see what he could find for her but decided against it. His curiosity over the lab was overriding all of his other thoughts.

It took some wandering and directional prodding from Bellum, but Linebeck managed to find the lab, a bunch of connected rooms with Sheikah milling around. He kept his goggles down around his neck and waited at the door for a few moments. The first room was dimly lit, but the blinking lights of the robots and creations added light. He slid his hands into his pockets and walked in, stopping to peer at a little spider-like machine.

A hand settled on his shoulder and a jolt of panic rushed through him. Linebeck flinched away and whipped around to face one of the Sheikah scientists. She peered up at him with mild interest. "You look very interested in our inventions."

"Y-yeah. Cool stuff. I do some inventing myself. P-please don't touch me."

"I apologize. You have an aversion to touch?"

"Aphenphosmphobia. I'm Linebeck. Nice to meet you."

"And you. I'm Impa. I'm the supervisor and mentor of most of the Sheikah here." She had the white hair and red eyes of the rest of the Sheikah. Her hair was pulled back into a bun while a few strands were left to dangle before her eyes. Some red markings were painted around her eyes. "I've heard quite a bit about the things you've created."

Linebeck raised an eyebrow. "You have? Most of my stuff is little things that help with daily life. Yeah, I've competed with larger robots, but that's not often."

Impa frowned. "I believe you misunderstand. For someone to catch my attention is rare. Your skill is enough to rival ours, and you are only one man. Do you believe that there may be a possibility that you created your prosthetics?"

"Probably." Linebeck instinctively reached up to the little bit of metal and wiring behind his ear. "It's similar to my own style of creating humanoid robots. I'm not sure. I can't remember anything past last year. None of us can, so no point prying us open for details about our origins."

"Ah, Zelda is the one who would ask questions." Impa peered around for a moment, at the other Sheikah and what they were working on. "Do you have any questions?"

Linebeck frowned. He glanced away and peered at some other spider-like machines across the room. "What's with the obsession over spider robots?" He walked over and picked up one of the smaller ones. "Pretty much all of the robots you guys have released and showed to people have averaged around six legs."

Impa only shrugged. "It's an old design that we've been using for years. I could show you how we made some, if you'd like. I'd like to see how you create machines as well." She walked by him, pushing aside a few items. "Spend as much time as you want here. You and your friends earned it, of course."

"Obviously," Linebeck muttered, stepping away from her. He gathered a few screws and springs in his hands. "I've found these in the junkyard. Do you make them?"

"We find them, like you. We have blueprints for things we don't have the ability to create or translate. A few of them are so old that we can't make out the instructions." Impa sighed. "No matter. That's not important. Are you aware of what that sword your robot uses is?"

"Not in the slightest." If he up and left, that would be rude. He had no choice but to stay until she left.

"It's a very old, powerful weapon. We call them guardian swords, as boring as that might sound. The one your robot uses is the most powerful out of the set of three."

Linebeck weakly smiled. "Well, we're lucky, then." He needed to find those blueprints. He could see if Bellum could decipher any of them. The locks on the doors looked easy to pick, anyways. There were at least five different lockpicks stored in the back of his aluminum hand.

Not even five minutes later, Impa began asking about his arm and leg again. The first lie was that they were made of bronze rather than the three actual materials. The second was that the foot had five toes. Why she needed to know that, he didn't know. In reality, it had six toes. Both feet had six toes- whether or not he had twelve total before losing his leg was an idea he liked to play with. He then lied about Bellum. "The chip behind my ear?"

"Yes," Impa murmured. "Does it have any other use other than your limbs?"

Bellum froze in the air. He shot an obviously desperate glance at Linebeck. It took a degree of self-control for Linebeck not to look at him. "Not that I know of, no." Lying was easy.

Ghirahim practically shoved Link into the training grounds. "Spar with me. I want to see if anything's changed after the tournament." He unsheathed his own sword and swung it around a few times. The training grounds were open to the sky, and about as a large as the tournament coliseum. A few other Sheikah were present, sparring with one another with spears and katanas. Others were practicing archery. They didn't even watch while the newcomers faced off in the middle of the grounds.

Link looked over the wood sword for a moment, then glanced up at Ghirahim. "Please don't break this one. Y'know, we could've brought the other metal sword."

Ghirahim scowled. "What's the fun in that? This'll force you to be more careful." A thin smile spread across his face. "Let's begin, shall we?" He lunged towards Link and sent his blade for his chest. Link stumbled back and pulled his sword closer to his chest, then retaliated with a quick thrust as Ghirahim brought his own weapon back. The tip just barely missed him as he twisted gracefully out of the way, settling back into a nearly relaxed posture, sword held out in front of him.

It was similar to the night on the inn roof- they sparred rapidly, trading blows and dodging attacks. None of the Sheikah stopped to watch. Link let his sword fall to the ground once they stopped, and even Ghirahim looked a little winded. "Thanks, I suppose." He returned his sword to his scabbard and began to walk away. "I assume it's almost lunch time, but you decide what you want to do."

Link scrambled to his feet and followed after Ghirahim. "I'll come with you," he murmured. "I'll check out the rest of the castle on my own later tonight."

Ghirahim huffed. "Fine. Follow me around like a little duckling. I'm flattered that you trust me enough to tag along at my heels."

Midna was still at the room when they returned, and she reported that Linebeck was checking out the lab. Ghirahim reminded her that it was nearly noon, and the three of them decided to set out an find the kitchens. Link pitched the idea of getting Linebeck from the labs, but Ghirahim only muttered that he routinely skipped lunch. Worry wormed into his mind, but Link went silent.

The dining hall and kitchen were both large rooms, so the three of them needed a moment to take it all in. Ghirahim recovered the quickest, uttering something about it all being unnecessary and over-conceited, but it was still obvious that he was amazed. The chandeliers above the long table in the dining hall were made of a shiny metal, colored bead handing from the lights. The kitchen itself was clean, looking surprisingly professional.

Those in the kitchen were the first servants they'd seen, wearing simple tunics and tags to show they worked for the queen. It was fast- they were asked how they were, and what food they wanted. After putting in their individual orders, they were ushered out of the kitchen. "Maybe we weren't actually allowed in," Link mused.

"Zelda would've told us that," Ghirahim muttered. "I'll admit, this place is pretty nice." He set his hands on his hips and peered down at himself. "I bet it's pissing some of them off to have someone like me in here." He smiled to himself, and Link couldn't help but agree. What, with his ash-colored skin, shirt and pants with holes deliberately ripped in them, he probably looked like some kind of bandit. He was certainly on the precipice of acting the part.

They settled down in some of the wood chairs. Link tested the cushion a few times. "This is a lot nicer than the rest of the city. Are the other towns like this? Aside from the holes, it seems like nothing happened."

Midna shrugged, tugging at the tablecloth. "The Sheikah favors the royal family, so of course they'd care about the castle getting rebuilt. The other towns are fine, since they were spared of the disaster, but the heat and decline in animals and crops makes it hard. The city is good at keeping up an illusion of having enough food, but they're always on the brink. I've done my research, though- it's getting better."

Link frowned. "It can't be good that the Sheikah are only caring about Zelda."

"The Sheikah in Kakariko Village are much more broad-sighted. They're like two different factions." Ghirahim reclined in his chair. "I'm surprised there's peace between them."

They froze when Linebeck walked into the room. "Didn't think you'd show up," Midna exclaimed.

"I don't like getting bothered while doing work," Linebeck muttered. "They let me try and recreate one of those little spider robots but kept hovering over my shoulder and stuff. Kept touching me, too. I'm just wandering. Are you guys going to get food?"

"We're waiting for it," Link mumbled.

Linebeck nodded and looked over at Midna. "Did you ever go to the library?"

"Not yet. I'll do it later."

"Oh." Linebeck sat down in a chair by them. "It's weird. Being in a place like this. I feel out of place. It's a good opportunity to get some information, though." He rested his feet on the table and crossed them at the ankles. "I've got the chance to steal some cool stuff from the labs. What did the Sheikah think of your moves, Ghirahim?"

"They didn't watch," Ghirahim snapped, following his words with a dramatic sigh. "They have no taste for talent, of course. Tragic, really. It was a good fight between Link and I and everything, and not one of those lost souls glanced over." He leapt off his seat and punched at the air. "It infuriates me, knowing that some ignore my talent! How dare they?!" He shadowboxed while the others watched for a few moments, stopping only once a pair of servants exited the kitchen. "Oh."

One of them spoke. "Your food is ready."

The next few hours were relaxing for the others. They mostly stayed in the room, happy with what they'd seen. Closer to late afternoon, Midna prepared to leave to the library, but a messenger arrived at their room. It was the same Sheikah girl that Midna had become friends with. She quietly announced that Zelda wished for them to have dinner with her later that night, and that she would also speak to each of them individually at different parts during the week.

Late afternoon came quickly enough, and the group made their way back down to the dining hall. Link walked by Linebeck on the way there. "Uh." Linebeck glanced questioningly down at him. "How are you making sure that Rusty is okay while away from him?"

"Every so often, a thing I built will dispense dead flies and some water. I picked up parts and flies during the first city visit and set it up before coming here again."

"That's cool."

Dinner was interesting. Link tried to stay silent the entire time, sitting by Midna, but Zelda managed to pry his mouth open and hear his voice. She spoke of her own experiences with the rest of the city and of her interest in the group. She didn't eat very much, though. She moved the cut-up bits of steak around her plate. "It's very rare for a group like you to catch my eye, since I'm usually pretty cooped up in here. Your robot... Link, was it? He is also very complex... I'm impressed by how you managed to get him working."

Linebeck glanced up slightly. He hadn't eaten anything on his plate and had been subtly giving some of it to Ghirahim. "I am a very talented engineer. I doubt you'd be able to find anyone as skilled as me in the city."

Zelda nodded. "I'm sure. On the other hand... Midna! You can do magic, correct?"

Midna nodded quickly. "Yeah! Not much but, it's something. Ghirahim can, too, we're both working on figuring out what we can do."

Link sighed and slumped in his chair. Zelda asked him a few questions during that time, but he felt that she still just saw him as a tool. She did ask him about how he could eat- Linebeck happily gave her his theory on how it worked. The rest were eager to keep talking with Zelda, but Link found himself becoming bored. He cleaned his plate as quickly as he could and politely dismissed himself.

A number of doors led out onto a long balcony outside the dining hall. One end of it turned into a road back to the main part of the castle grounds. Link sighed to himself, leaning over with his elbows on the railing. Bellum hovered around his head. "You seem tired of something."

"I dunno," he sighed, waving the little AI away from his face. "I can see that the others are enjoying themselves."

Bellum huffed. "You had fun today, too. It's the first day."

Link laughed weakly. "I know, I know. I just feel a bit tired today. This is a really good opportunity to learn about my past, if possible."

Bellum blinked. "We're both very advanced."

"Hm?"

"Our tech. We're both way ahead of what's here. Same with Linebeck's prosthetics. Hey, do you wanna hear my theory about Linebeck and the others' pasts?"

"Oh, that sounds cool." Link held out his hand and allowed Bellum to hover ever so slightly above his palm.

"Well," he began. "It's mostly about Linebeck, but whatever. They obviously knew each other. With all the tech he's created and repaired... I think the three of them found something out about 200 years ago. I think they were exploring the world to find out what happened, and something made them lose their memories. But, I think, in the process, they found some old tech and Linebeck managed to figure out how to use it. Hence, my existence and his prosthetics. Midna and Ghirahim have less interesting clues about their possible pasts, but we know they're connected. What do you think?"

"That's..." There was a moment of silence, and then a big smile broke across Link's face. "That's a great theory! You should tell the others. If they were to try and figure out about their own pasts with that theory, maybe it would help!"

They both went quiet, turning their attention to the moon on the horizon. There were still traces of daytime, but the moon was already coming up. The slight sound of paper flapping in the wind and soft footsteps urged Link to glance over his shoulder. "Yes-" He stumbled away just in time as the blade of the axe buried itself a good few inch into the stone.

Link whipped around, automatically assuming a battle stance. The Yiga warrior pulled his axe from the stone with little effort. The handle was slightly curved, the head one-bladed, large and curved. The Yiga moved quickly, aiming to lop Link's head off. The robot ducked just in time and moved to sweep his legs out from under him, but the Yiga disappeared in a cloud of paper amulets. He reappeared by Link's side. He swung the axe like it weighed nothing, and Link ducked once again and backed off. "What- who are you?!"

The fight was fast, and Link could do nothing but dodge. This Yiga- wearing the usual mask and donning crimson dyed slacks and a coat, was silent as he repeatedly aimed to destroy the robot before him. Link noted the black scarf- something only shared by the katana-weilding Yiga from the restaurant attack. A muted clattering from inside caught the attention of both of them, however, and they paused to turn their gazes to the dining hall.

The doors had been flung open, Ghirahim leading the so-called charge. All four of them- Ghirahim, Linebeck, Midna, and Zelda- had looks of shock and fear in their faces. For a moment, it was as if time stopped. When it began again, chaos reigned. Ghirahim sprinted at the Yiga without pause, and Link stumbled back to provide room. Midna flung an arm in front of Zelda, who looked the most shocked, looking over her shoulder, calling for guards. Linebeck was frozen but spurred back to life as Bellum zipped over to him, speaking rapidly. Ghirahim lunged at the Yiga, intending to tackle him, but fell onto the ground with paper amulets fluttering onto his back.

Link only stared at where the Yiga man had just been. A white note was among the blood-red amulets- he scrambled forward and snatched it up. Written neatly in ink were four words.

Be aware of deception.

Link stuffed the note into his pants pocket as Midna ran over and helped him to his feet, asking him what happened.