A/N

Quick warning- self-harm is mentioned in this chapter.

Otherwise, enjoy.

"He passed out on the way back?" Mipha asked, looking a bit unsurprised.

"Yeah," Midna sighed. "Ghirahim carried him the way back. How are the rest of the Zora we found?"

"Hungry and hurt, but... almost everyone is accounted for. We're missing a few... they're most likely dead." The Zora princess shook her head. She glanced over her shoulder at another Zora that was in the room. "You may leave." He nodded and left the isolated hospital room.

Midna waited for the door to close before sighing. "Anyways." She shifted her gaze down to Linebeck, out cold and laid on a table in the room. They'd removed his coat and given it to Damien, whom they trusted to take the most care of it. She stared at what she could see of his wound, a bloody mess with bits of ripped bandages. "Would you say there may be permanent damage to his shoulder?"

Mipha frowned, looking him over. "It's hard to tell. You may need to remove anything covering it." Midna nodded and got to removing Linebeck's scarf, setting it to the side. "Was he injured in any other way?"

Midna shook her head, removing Linebeck's vest. "He has scars, of course, but the damage to his shoulder is the only open wound."

"How was he hurt?"

"A lizalfos attack to the shoulder and then a giant wolf tried to remove his remaining arm. Ghirahim got slammed against the wall, but he's not hurt." Mida peeled back the bloodied dress shirt, grimacing at the gouges in Linebeck's shoulder. "Damn. We're lucky that we weren't attacked on the way back. How are the other Zora?"

"Hungry, but safe. They're being tended to." Mipha gentle brushed away Midna's hands and got to gingerly picking out the shreds of bandages from the wound. "This is a deep laceration. He's lost quite a bit of blood." She frowned at his chest, and said, "Based off how much I can see, I wouldn't be surprised if the bite reached his bones. I know little about Hylians, but are you supposed to see the entire ribcage with such ease?"

Midna let out a breathless laugh. "Oh, no, he just neglects his body's needs. He's underweight, definitely, it's just hard to tell when carrying him because his prosthetics are made of metal and rubber."

"Rubber?"

"To avoid conduction. It's pretty well made." Midna tugged the shirt down from around his other shoulder. "Don't try to remove it; you can't. I doubt you'd need to, anyways."

"I won't. I just need to work on this shoulder." Mipha, without stopping her work of removing bandage shreds, frowned at the blotchy scar on Linebeck's chest. "That looks like that was one nasty wound. How did he get that?"

Midna shrugged, staring at it. She hadn't seen it too often, and it surprised her every time. "No idea. We have amnesia- we can't remember anything before about a year ago. We don't know how Linebeck got that scar or how he lost his arm and leg. Mysteries abound. He has a few scars like that."

Mipha nodded absently, now holding her hands above the wound. They were glowing a gentle teal color, and the laceration was very slowly healing. "Do you and your demon friend have similar scars?"

"No. For Ghirahim, it makes sense, knowing that he's supposedly an old, powerful demon, while... I'm not sure about myself. I haven't seen any scars, but my skin is different than theirs."

With an attempted subtlety, Midna carefully pushed Linebeck's right sleeve off his wrist and replaced it a moment later, but Mipha caught the quick movement. "What was that for?"

"N-nothing. How's the healing going along?"

"Good, I'm the strongest healer here. The other healers would take perhaps a few hours to heal a wound like this, but I should be done in a few minutes. It helps that there is no residual poison or materials in the cuts." Mipha moved her hands to a deeper portion of the cut. "Is there something wrong with his wrist?"

"I don't think he'd appreciate you looking. Do you need me to stay until he's healed, or may I leave at any time?"

"You decide. Where is Link? I have yet to properly thank him, along with Ghirahim. Who killed the beast?"

"Link did. You could probably heal most of this wound and let the rest of it heal on its own. Should bar Linebeck from doing anything stupid for a few days," Midna sighed, recalling a number of times that Linebeck had gotten into significant trouble, usually with other people. If she or Ghirahim lost sight of him for too long in the city, he usual slipped away to gamble and cheat using Bellum. It was like trying to keep track of a child half the time. At least his discovery of Link gave him more of a reason to stay out of trouble.

"What's the scar on his neck?" Mipha asked, pointing to it. "That would have sliced an artery. It that another unknown?"

"Of course. The... only scars that he's gotten in the past year are mostly self-inflicted. He's not in a very good place but burying himself in his work seems to help- but I think he's doing better. I think I'm the only stable person in this group. Linebeck's got his gambling and smoking, Ghirahim... he said he was going to try and find a bar here, to celebrate, I suppose."

"I thought you might be lovesick," Mipha mused, glancing up at her. "Didn't you try and ask Zelda out on a date a day or two ago?"

"I-I... That's not important," Midna scoffed. On the table, Linebeck twitched a little as Mipha's healing closed up part of the wound. "Does this hurt him?"

"No, but it causes a sort of tension in the wound. If it's too much tension, he might wake up. You know what? I'll finish this up and leave him in here to rest. I need to talk with Link, and it'd be a good idea for you and Ghirahim to be there as well."

"No Linebeck?"

"Damien can be there too, if you want. He can tell Linebeck what he missed." Mipha pulled her hands away, peering down at Linebeck's shoulder. The cut was mostly gone aside from some red markings. "Damien... he's at the inn, correct?"

"Yes, Link should be talking with him..." Midna frowned. "You sound like you know Damien. Like you're friends." She collected Linebeck's scarf and vest in her arms, practically tossing them on top of him.

"Well, we are," Mipha coolly answered, walking over to a nearby counter. She picked up and looked over a pair of potions while she talked. "We met a couple years ago. We don't talk all that much, but we're familiar with each other. Whenever passing by Zora's Forest, he usually takes the time to visit. As for Linebeck, I'll arrange to give him his reward for his services after he wakes."

"What's that reward?"

"We'd found some odd materials a few months back- they look the same as what he's been using. He should have more to do with him. In addition to some reward money, since that seems to be his priority." Mipha sighed heavily. "I really must apologize for any bluntness I may have had with you. I've been on edge, and all of this is been terrifying my little brother... I'm just happy it's all over."

"You're welcome, then. If you plan to talk with us in a bit, can you at least wait? I need to talk with Zelda."

"This may seem rude to say, but the Queen has always seemed odd to me," Mipha murmured. Midna raised an eyebrow, listening intently. "My father... Zora can live to around 150 years, so none of us were alive when Hyrule was ruined, but my father's father was. According to him, the fact that there still is a royal family today is impressive. Apparently, most everyone in the area of what is now the junkyard was wiped out."

Midna nodded, then asked, "Did your grandfather have any idea as to what may have happened?"

"A few years before the incident, Hyrule City was actually closed off from the rest of the world. There had been prophecies of doom and destruction for Hyrule, and the rumor was that the Queen of Hyrule at the time had found the hero of the time, and the two of them were trying to stop whatever imminent disaster had been foretold. It seems like they failed."

"We think Link might have been the Hero from back then," Midna blurted out. "He could easily be from 200 years ago, and Zelda sees him as the current hero. We... we think that the Yiga might be trying to replicate what happened back then. Well, that's what Zelda thinks."

"That makes sense. Good theory. Well, I hope you can stop the second apocalypse in time. Zelda's in the training grounds- she seems angry about something."

Mipha was right- Zelda was fuming when Midna found her. While still precise and well-aimed, the Queen's sword swipes and stabs seemed much more forceful and quicker than before, a number of metal training dummies sporting holes and dents that Midna hadn't recalled seeing before. She seemed to be saying something under her breath, her eyes fixed on something that wasn't there as she whipped her sword around. "...Zelda? May I speak with you for a bit, if that's alright?"

Zelda paused in what she was doing and let out a long exhale. She shakily sheathed her sword and turned to Midna. "Of course, is it okay if we talk here?"

"Yeah. Mipha says that you're angry about something. Did... something happen?"

The Queen scowled. "Well, of course. Remember when I mentioned that the Yiga were planning a siege on each town?"

"Yes, did that happen while we were gone? You said that you got the information specifically from a Yiga assassin, so you know it was true..."

Zelda scoffed. "Turns out there was a change in plan. Apparently, the city was their new target. They apparently attacked and ransacked both the castle and the surrounding city for a few hours. As far as we know, there were no civilian casualties, but the Yiga killed a number of Sheikah. Now they keep periodically jumping out and attacking random patrols... and to make things worse, they simultaneously hijacked all of our supply lines that were heading towards the other villages. Turns out they're a bigger problem than I thought... Damn it." Even though her expression was calm and composed, fury burned in her eyes. It reminded her of Link- how he usually was calm and friendly but would snap if pushed far enough, like with the Yiga in Kakariko.

"...Damn. They changed their plans, then. How would they have figured out that you knew about the sieges? The only ones you told aside from some of your Sheikah were us, right? And none of us left Zora's Domain, we all have alibis." Midna frowned, thinking to herself, then softly asked, "Do you think there's a Yiga spy following us around? Even Damien is out of question- we all know where he was the whole time."

Zelda set her jaw. "Perhaps... someone who was with me during the interrogation was a spy. I was with Impa and two others... You all shouldn't worry about it. You need to go to Rito Village next. I'm withdrawing Koko from her current post; I'm sending her back to the city. You'll be fine on your own. Mipha must talk with you all soon, correct?"

"Y-yes, but I still have one more question. You know a lot about magic, right?"

"Indeed, I'm skilled with magic, even if I don't show it off very often. I heard that Ghirahim discovered more of his, how is yours coming along?"

"Not well, but that's not what I'm asking about. The Twili- my kind- I read that sunlight is supposed to harm us." Midna shifted her cloak, looking at her skin. "It doesn't hurt me. I don't know if that means that I'm somehow not Twili, but I can use the right magic... I was wondering if you knew anything."

Leaning in slightly, Zelda frowned. She looked over Midna's skin, then tentatively reached out. She paused. "I'm going to check to see if there may be a spell protecting you from the sunlight- otherwise, you're right, you should be dead, considering how it's almost always sunny in the wasteland." Midna nodded slightly, holding her arm out more.

Zelda placed her hand on Midna's arm and tilted her head to the side. "Give me a moment." Her hand began to glow softly. "If I recall correctly, the Twili may be susceptible to sunlight since they are accustomed to the twilight of their own world. I heard that, in the past, the leaders of the Twili would sometimes come and converse with the other rulers of Hyrule, but they were the least involved. Similar to the Sheikah in their general detachment, but they, of course, weren't as tightly intertwined. In one of the castle's dungeons, there is an old, shattered mirror. It's believed to be the gateway between our world and the Twilis', but it's broken now. Which makes me wonder how you showed up here, along with an ancient demon lord and..." The Queen trailed off with a humorous smile. "Well, I suppose there isn't much that is remarkable with Lancrester."

"You can call him by his first name, Y'know," Midna murmured, staring at Zelda's hand. After a few drawn-out moments, the glowing stopped. Zelda stepped back with a sigh. For a moment panic sparked in Midna's mind. Did she find something wrong?

"Peculiar," Zelda mused. "There's an old, powerful spell active on you, protecting you from the sunlight. It seems to have been active since quite a while ago but has not weakened in the slightest. Lucky you."

Another mystery to add to the list, then. Midna looked over her arms, then sighed, tugging the cloak back over her shoulders. "Thank you. Will you be continuing to Rito Village with us...?"

"I'm needed at the castle. We... need to decide to do with the people now that the Yiga are more actively attacking. A lot of people have abandoned the area around the castle. We... may have to use an underground version of the city-"

"A what?!" Midna blurted, doubting what she'd just heard. "A-an underground version of the city?!"

Zelda laughed breathlessly. "Yes. In the past few decades, we've discovered a well-constructed but smaller city, hidden in the junkyard. Based on how it's only about ten feet below the city, it may have been the city from 200 years ago. Lots of it was in ruins, but we've fixed it up. It seems to have been very advanced, as well, but we're unable to power it. The lighting magic capsules that we use to power everything up here do nothing. For now, we might have to stick with torches."

"Who have you told about that?"

"Only a select few people, but a few citizens know about it. It's mostly like a myth to most people, but we might have to have them live down there for a bit. The biggest problem is the amount of entrances and heat getting trapped- we obviously can't demolish the city above."

"What if you harvest the tech from down there and move it to the surface city?" Midna suggested. "Perhaps you can just... abandon the old city or use it for something else. It might not be safe to move everyone down there- you might be trapping them, and the Yiga might already know about it."

Zelda opened her mouth, then closed it with a frown. "You have a great point. Perhaps that's what we'll do. How about this? You lot help out at Rito Village, then come back to the city for a little bit. I'll have the Sheikah excavate some of the tech and general history. If we can, we'll integrate it to the city. None of the buildings will be altered, since that will cause a problem, but we might set up some of the ancient lamps and... tracks that we've found."

"Tracks?"

"Like... hm. I could compare them to minecart tracks. They were all around the old city, with a few... carts, I suppose. They must've been used to transport people around the old city. On another note, we've found old statues that depict a hero much like Link- so there's a chance he was, indeed, created back then. There are also references, etched into plaques on the statues, to three others that were meant to combat the impending doom of Hyrule. A powerful battler, a skilled magician, and a talented engineer. History seems to be repeating itself, as it always has in Hyrule. For now, though, Link and the rest of your little group are on the path to finding the Master Sword, I should hope."

"The... Master Sword? As in 'The Sword That Seals the Darkness'? The mythological 'Blade of Evil's Bane?"

"Yes, yes," Zelda said, waving her hand. "It has many verbose and rather pompous names, but, yes. Mipha should give Link something to aid him in unlocking it, but no one knows where it currently rests." With her arms now crossed, Zelda nodded to Midna. "I must leave now. I wish you and the others luck." She reached out and shook hands with Midna. Her hands were calloused and hardened from her swordplay.

Midna found the rest of her friends just as Mipha met with them. The Zora princess waved at her as she approached. "Hey. Did you talk with Zelda?"

"Yeah." Midna sat on the bed next to Ghirahim, who was nonchalantly inspecting one of his magic daggers. Link was standing still, not doing much of... anything. At that moment, he looked more like a robot than he ever had. Damien was standing next him, arms crossed with a blank but tense expression. He seemed on the verge of asking a question, most likely about Linebeck's condition.

"First off are congratulations and thanks," Mipha began. "All of the Zora thank you for saving us from further danger at the hands of the lizalfos. We've discovered that monsters are no longer re-appearing at midnight- you somehow managed to stop that."

"That's good," Link interjected. "I'm glad that we managed to stop that."

Damien sighed, adding to Mipha's pause. "How's Linebeck?"

"He's fine, he just needs a bit more time to heal. Damien, I appreciate your help with creating that tracker."

Damien blinked, as if surprised. "I- uh- all I did was offer support and keep him sane, really. I didn't do anything." He rubbed the back of his neck, guiltily looking off to the side.

"In keeping him... sane, I suppose, you helped. It was a small help, but it mattered. Now, Link." Mipha turned to him. Her hands had been clasped together while she'd been talking, and she revealed that she had been holding something- a small pendant. It was a small blue sphere with a little white marking painted on it, tied to a leather string. Mipha held it out to Link. "This is a Zora treasure of sorts; it's a treasure to all of Hyrule, but we were trusted with protecting it. It's called the Pendant of Wisdom. As far as we know, it has no magical traits, but it may be used to allow access to the Master Sword. Zelda tells me that you will need it. I trust you all to take care of this pendant until it is needed." Mipha gently set the little pendant into Link's hand. "It's small enough that you could tie it to a strand around your neck and wear as a necklace. You could keep track of it that way."

Link held it up close to his eyes. The white symbol was a small marking that Link had seen all over Zora's domain, three circles connected by curved lines. "...Thank you." Link closed his hand around it, noting that he would need to buy some kind of string.

"I believe that this is what Zelda intended for you to do. The power and courage pendants should be in Rito Village and Goron City- I hear that they're having trouble as well. That, and the increased aggression from the Yiga... The rumor is that a man named Ganondorf is the leader of the Yiga, correct?"

"Yes. She thinks that he's the one trying to bring about the downfall of Hyrule, I think. Do we have any proof that Ganondorf is even leading them, though? Any proof that he's even alive?"

"Well, about... a little over 20 years ago, a male Gerudo was born and raised to be their king until he disappeared after he turned 16. The rumor is that he was named Ganondorf. That seems to be a traditional male Gerudo name, even if it has negative connotations. The Yiga had already existed at that point but got much worse a few months after the Gerudo boy disappeared. It's a strong theory. I believe it."

Ghirahim let out a long sigh, diverting all attention towards him. "Well, what does Zelda want us to do with him? Kill him with the Master Sword? Do we even need a powerful sword of legend to kill him? And how would that do anything, I bet it would only spur the Yiga to try even harder to take over." He crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Seems pointless. Why even bother with us? Zelda practically has an army on her side; I doubt four random people with dubious backgrounds are too helpful, even if one of them might be the legendary hero."

Mipha shrugged. "Good point. However, there is subtle proof that the Triforce has been tampered with at some point."

Link blinked. "T-the Triforce? What do you mean, tampered with?"

"Every few years, the leaders of each of the races of Hyrule will meet up in order to make sure that the Triforce is safe. Whomever the Queen of Hyrule is at that time will take them to the Temple of Time- an old ruin near the castle. There, the rulers are allowed a glimpse into the scared realm. That temple was one of the old resting places for the Master Sword, hence why it allows limited access into the sacred realm. They don't truly enter it, obviously, but they all experience a collective vision that allows them to check on the state of the Triforce. I do not know how this is done since I'm clearly not the leader of the Zora yet, and my father is vague with the details. Either way, he tells me that, even when he first became the Zora king, the Triforce was always missing."

"Missing?!"

"Yes, but don't share that information. If word gets out, panic will spread. Typically, the Triforce only leaves the sacred realm when someone with the intent of taking it to fulfill their wishes does not have the right balance of Power, Wisdom, and Courage. It splits into its three parts, the person whom had touched it gaining the part that best fits them, and two others get the other two, based on whom the goddesses deem worthy of wielding them. We don't know who has the three parts. Link, as the possible hero from 200 years ago, you may have it, since you were still alive all this time, but we're not sure about the other two.

"We all thought Zelda would have Wisdom, as its traditional in the old stories for the princess or queen at the time to have it bestowed upon her, despite a few exceptions, but she's shown no sign of wielding it. Ganondorf may have Power as the Yiga leader and since he shares the name of past wielders of that third, but we obviously don't know. Of course, that also hinges on when it was split. If it was split any time in the past 200 years, then Link would most likely have courage, but, for the other two... either two people now have them, or the one who had it are dead, and those two parts of the Triforce are up for grabs, providing anyone can find them."

"Sounds like the whole deal with the Triforce is all complicated," Damien muttered. "But you think that Link might have Courage?"

"It's my best guess, but it's hard to know. There are a few shrines dedicated to the goddesses at the edges of Hyrule, untouched by the apocalypse from 200 years ago. The ones dedicated to Farore would show the marking of the Triforce if Link has it. Just walking into the waters of the shrines would show it. We have a shrine dedicated to Naryu near here, but that wouldn't help."

"Are you sure it's even possible for me to have a part of the Triforce?" Link asked. "I mean... I'm a robot. Not a... person."

"Well, we won't know unless we try!" Midna declared with a confident tone. Her smile wavered, however. "Is there a shrine to Farore on the way to Rito Village?"

"Yes, actually, just before you make it to the Tabantha Tundra. It's hidden in the pine forest on the way. Linebeck should be well enough tomorrow morning for you to get going then. I wish you all good luck on the rest of your journey."

"Thank you," they all murmured. Mipha gave them a small nod and left the inn room without another word. Link waited until he could no longer see her, then collapsed onto his bed. It was midday now. They'd returned the Zora home just before midnight, Midna took Linebeck to the hospital about an hour after they returned, and a few hours passed while the Zora prisoners were looked after.

"Should we start packing up?" Link said, mostly thinking out loud. "I mean, if we're leaving so soon. Do you guys know how to get those mechanical horses working? Koko never told us."

"I bet I could figure it out," Ghirahim said. "I brought the least amount of stuff. I'll pack up and get to figuring that stuff out. I'm glad we're leaving. It's so humid after a while. I don't like fish that much. I'm sick of this place." He reached under his bed and whipped out his bag, already half-full with his books and spare potions. The only thing it was missing were his gloves, which he tossed in with little care. "See you guys tomorrow."

"Good night," Midna sighed. She glanced over to the side. Damien shifted from one foot to the other, clearly debating something, then started to leave the inn. "What are you gonna do?"

He paused. "I'll be at the hospital. Might stay the night if I need to." She couldn't see his face, but based on his clenched fists and stiff posture, Midna would've been willing to bet money that worry was written all over his features. Mipha's reassurance that Linebeck was fine didn't seem to comfort him in the least. "Sorry, but can you two pack up our stuff? If we're leaving in the morning, we won't have a chance to do it ourselves."

"Yeah, sure," Link said with a nod that Damien didn't see. The robot silently watched him leave, then turned to Midna. "Do you have somewhere to be, too, or..."

She shook her head with mock despair. "No, you're stuck with me. Hey.." Link raised his eyebrows, watching as Midna dug around in a bag that was obviously not hers. She withdrew a pack of cards with a devious smile. "Wanna play cards? I was doing some snooping a few days ago and found out that Linebeck deemed these cards worthy enough to spend money on. Look-" She handed a card to Link. "They all have art of cats on the back. Makes sense, I saw a couple cats while we were in Kakariko."

Link peered at the art of a sleeping calico cat and turned the card over. Seven of spades. The suite shape was unchanged. "The only difference is the back of the cards?"

"Yeah. Seems worth it, though. He likes cats. So does Damien. So, do you know any card games?"

"...No. The only thing I have on cards in my memory logs is just the basic look of them all. Do you know some games?"

"Obviously." Midna took back Link's card and got to shuffling the deck. "I'll teach you how to play poker. We can bet if we want, since we all share the money. Come here, sit across from me. If I remember correctly, we each have five cards..."

For a robot, Link had a dismally poor poker face. Midna caught onto each of his bluffs and lies, and promptly smashed him into the ground, winning nearly every round unless luck was on Link's side. An hour passed by quickly, and Midna deftly returned the pack of cards to where she'd taken them from. Midna quietly shared the hope that Linebeck's modified eyes couldn't pick up fingerprints.

"His eyes are modified?" Link asked.

"Obviously. He can see Bellum, but his vision is pretty sharp, and he can see in the dark much better than we can. Not sure if there's anything else, but that sounds good enough."

They spent a few minutes in silence, then packed everything up. Link picked a book from his pack and read through it, laying on his bed facing the doorway to their room, able to see the sky through the inn's entrance. Midna left when he was halfway through the short book, announcing that she was going to practice with her magic. Link quietly wished her luck.

He finished his book quickly- it was just a short story, collections of old myths. It was one of the books they'd shamelessly stolen from the Hyrule Castle library. Link tossed it back in his bag and wrapped himself up in his blankets. It did indeed get humid, but, on the other hand, it got rather cold. Kakariko wasn't too hot, either, like the city or the wasteland. Rito Village was apparently the coldest, so he couldn't wait to go to Goron City at some point, said to be located at the base of a volcano.

With a heavy sigh, Link sat upright. He had nothing better to do. He hopped out of bed and made for the hospital. If Linebeck was still out, he could at least talk with Damien. He walked quietly through the tense hospital, doing his best not to stare at any injured Zora. He'd heard that Linebeck was being kept in a back room, but Link figured that the faint scent of cigarette smoke would lead him well enough.

Link waved a hand in front of his face once he found Linebeck's room. A window was open, but the room still smelled of cigarette smoke nonetheless. Link glared at Damien, sitting in the corner, the source of the acrid smell. "You're smoking in a hospital? Really? At least close the door," he muttered, shutting it himself.

Damien shrugged, regarding his cigarette. "I'm stressed. Do you want something?" He awkwardly gestured to Linebeck, out cold on the table in the room. "He's clearly not awake yet."

"Yeah, I, uh," Link waved his hand again. Did cigarette smoke affect robots the same way it affected humans? Of course, most other robots didn't have synthetic lungs. "I wanted to talk with you. I didn't know that you smoked too."

"Less than he does," said Damien, peering not at Link, but at Linebeck. "Midna said that, uh, you saved him. I appreciate that. Really. Tell Ghirahim I'm grateful, too. And Mipha. Dunno if I have anything to thank Midna for..." He sighed, then took a short drag from the cigarette. "What did you want to talk with me about?" he asked, exhaling more smoke as he talked.

"...I was just going to ask you more about your relationship with the others," Link said, tugging the lone chair in the room over and sitting in it. "When did you guys tell them that you were dating? Or did they find out? Because, when Linebeck went to get the shield and stuff fixed in the city, Midna and Ghirahim just seemed to think that you guys were just close friends."

"Oh, yeah, that," Damien muttered. "Linebeck and I met... I think he said it was about two months after he and the others woke up. I knew Midna as another customer a while after Linebeck and I met, and we started dating a few weeks after I met her. Ghirahim and I met when this whole road trip started. Anyways. I think Linebeck did actually tell them that we were dating, maybe when he came out, probably after, but I think they forgot. I recall Midna seeming a bit confused about what our relationship was like during a few of her visits to my shop after that point. It's been weird."

"Ok. That's all I wanted to know."

Damien frowned. "Really?"

"Yeah. That's all." Link kicked his feet for a few moments, then asked, "When do you think Linebeck will wake up?"

"Sometime in the night or early in the morning. If he doesn't wake up by the morning, I'll be sure to get some coffee. What are you going to do with that pendant that Mipha gave you?"

"I'll keep it safe," Link said. "If we need it to get the Master Sword, so I'll need to keep it safe, along with the others, if we get them. Stopping at the shrine to Farore on the way there will slow us down, but I think it'll be worth it. We should all visit it!" He smiled faintly. "I haven't seen any old structures aside from some small ruins in the wasteland and junkyard, and I bet these shrines to the goddesses are old."

"They probably are. They're been worshiped for a long time. Everyone knows about them. You should go check it out on your own- the rest of us don't really have a reason to go there ourselves and it might be dangerous. Linebeck's wound probably won't completely heal for a few days, so he should stay out of trouble. Midna and Ghirahim can hold their own just fine, but it's really up to them if they want to go or not. We don't know how the whole thing works, the whole Triforce-part revealing parts. It might not work with multiple people there."

Link frowned, glancing down at his hands. "Oh. Maybe. I wonder... If I have the Triforce of courage, what would that mean for me? Would that make me a target, or... would I just... have it?"

"I don't know how that all works," Damien sighed. He placed the cigarette in his mouth and held both hands up. "If you ask me, it seems a little pointless. I mean, that's not the focus. We don't know if anyone has the other two parts. For now, I think we should focus on the Master Sword and see if the Triforce is important later. Personally... now that I've been pulled into this..." He paused to take a drag from the cigarette. Tilting his head to the side, glancing sidelong out the window he'd opened, he blew out a short burst of smoke. "You all have your own motivations for doing this, right?"

"Yes," Link said. "For me, I just want to fulfill the role of being the hero. The others don't... agree with that as much, saying that I don't need to do that just because I was told to, but it's the only purpose I have right now. I was created for a reason and that has to be it,y'know? As for the others... I think we all share the common goal of wanting to get our memories back." Link was feeling confident in his last statement until he noticed Damien shaking his head ever so slightly. "What?"

"I've obviously been talking with Linebeck about this whole thing. He's brought up the idea that you all might be able to somehow recover your memories, even though you guys don't even know that it's possible. He-" Damien cut himself off, shifting like he was uncomfortable. "He's... worried about getting his memories back. Scared, even."

"What do you mean? Why would he be scared of recovering his memories. He could figure out who he was, what he did..." Link ran his hands through his hair. "Getting our memories back could help with all of this, maybe unlocking something important!"

Damien chuckled humorlessly. "Then you three can do that. It's just that... Linebeck... just based off what he has now... aphenphosmphobia, all those scars, his prosthetics... He's terrified of what happened to him, and he- we both know that if he were to get his memories back, he would most certainly have some amount of trauma suddenly forced upon him. There would certainly be a great deal of pain, and he's scared that his lost memories contain instances of some kind of abuse or even..." He sucked in a breath, averting his gaze. "Maybe even an experience of assault, though I hate to say it. Besides... you're doing just fine without your memories."

Link opened his mouth to reply, but shut it, seeing the somber look in Damien's eyes. He didn't seem to be looking directly at anything, his head bowed while he sat leaning against the wall. There was a period of silence between them, and Damien continued. "...Do you really need your memories back? You're all doing well enough as you are- You've all found ways to be happy and live your lives even though you don't know what happened before. And yet that's not stopping you guys from doing what you want. Of course, for you, Midna, and Ghirahim, getting your memories back might not be so bad. There's no physical evidence that anything horrible has happened- it's still possible that there is trauma in those lost memories- but there don't see to be any echoing effects of any hurt you three may have been through. Plus, you're all so curious and interesting in getting it back that it's a goal that you're willing to fight for. The three of you are stable enough to handle whatever is revealed in your memories.

"Linebeck doesn't have that stability. He's not doing very well even now, hiding from his problems through constant work and generally withdrawing from people. He's told me about how you have dreams of sorts that may allude to who you once were. He and the others have similar experiences. Ghirahim told me that he had a 'flashback' of sorts when unlocking his dagger magic, and Midna has experienced similar events while working on her own magic. Linebeck has dreams that may be memories, like you do, but they're always nightmares- blurry flashes of past events that leave him lying awake in a cold sweat. In his current... mental state, learning about what's left him so battered might be the thing that pushes him over the edge. If he doesn't want to get his memories back, then I'm willing to support him. I just want him to be happy, really. If not, I want him to be safe. I appreciate that you're all protecting him, but just don't force him into doing something he doesn't want to."

Link silently nodded. There was a tension between them that both of them were uncomfortably aware of. They both momentarily glanced at Linebeck, still out cold on the table between them. Link rocked forward in his chair, then asked, "Hey, uh... We might have to go through another dungeon-thing when we get to Rito Village. Do you... want to go with us that time? To stay with Linebeck?"

"On, no," Damien mused, waving his hand. "No, I trust you all to protect him. I would just get in the way. You all don't know how I operate like you know each other. I'd rather maintain the fact that I'll be there for Linebeck."

"Seems like he's really dependent on you."

"He is, but only a little. He needs me for support, but he can otherwise handle himself, y'know? I think we complement each other really well." Damien paused. "We've got plenty in common, too. Engineering and woodworking can go hand-in-hand sometimes. It's a good balance, and he's comfortable with me touching him, as long as he's aware of it."

"Do you think it'd be possible for Linebeck to... completely get over his aphenphosmphobia?"

"Eventually," Damien sighed, sliding off the table he was sitting on and pulling up a chair next to Linebeck. "But he's not very desperate for that outcome, either. He can live with a fear of being touched, and he's doing well as he is. All he needs to really do is just tell people. He's touch-averse anyways, he wasn't a fan of me touching him for a good while. He also has other, deep-rooted fears that involve touching or being touched, so we have that, as well."

"What are those fears?" Link asked, now certain that the tension from before had eased.

Damien started to answer, but they both went silent when Linebeck shifted on the table. Link saw Bellum flicker into existence out of the corner of his eye but ignored him in favor of watching Linebeck wake up much earlier than Mipha said he would. He sat up, flinching any time he put weight on his right arm, and glanced at Link, then Damien. "Is this... bad timing or are you guys happy to see me awake? You look a bit surprised."

"Mipha said you were supposed to wake up tomorrow morning," Damien said, crossing his arms on the table. "I thought I'd have the spend the night until you woke up or something, but here you are, a few hours later." He reached into his pocket and held out a pack of cigarettes to Linebeck.

Linebeck took a cigarette and lighted it as he peered at Link. "So, uh, did I thank you for saving my ass back there?"

"No."

"Right. Thanks for that. Who carried me back?"

"Ghirahim. Midna was with Mipha when she healed you, though. It was a team effort. We're talking about you now."

"Of course you are," Linebeck sighed. "What about me, then? I'd like to be part of this conversation." He sat with his legs crossed and a thin smile on his face.

"Well, we started to talk about your 'lesser' phobias," Damien explain, getting up onto the table with Linebeck. "Do you want to start? I know that Midna and Ghirahim know, but of course, we need to tell Link."

Linebeck nodded, exhaling a bit of cigarette smoke. Link grimaced at the smell, quietly thanking Hylia that he was immune to any kind of lung disease. "Well, one of the more concerning ones is- Did you mention why I might have aphenphosmphobia?"

"We had the memory talk, yes."

"Cool. I'm extra afraid of being touched by women. Like, twice as scared of being touched by a woman than by a man. Could have to do with the fact that I'm gay, but it's just concerning."

Linebeck leaned against Damien, cuing for the other man to continue. "He gets uncomfortable around bars and drunk people in general. Speaking of, I saw Ghirahim in the local Zora bar, so I'm pretty sure he's going to try and figure out how to get those mechanical horses to work while wasted."

"Yeah." Linebeck glanced momentarily at Bellum, then quietly declared, "This is therapeutic, what the hell. Anyways. Dogs make me very uncomfortable, I hate being around them, but I admit that they are cute. I prefer cats."

"Let's see... making friends is a sore spot for him, and if anyone shows aggression towards him, touchy or not, he gets scared and defensive. Being made fun of is also a sore spot, but," Damien sighed, laying an arm across Linebeck's shoulders. "We're both pretty sure that you've got an inferiority complex. Is that all?"

"Yeah, sounds about right. You should go and check on Ghirahim," Linebeck told Link.

Link didn't object as he got up to leave. Linebeck was more intimate with Damien than him, so Link sticking around would just be rude. He left the hospital and found Zelda lingering in the lobby. "Oh, hi, Zelda. Midna said that you left."

"I meant to, but I've decided to give you some advice for the journey ahead." Zelda shrugged. "Since I can't keep going with you, dealing with the situation at the city."

"Yeah, Midna told me what happened. What are those damned Yiga up to?"

With a heavy sigh, Zelda shook her head. "They aim to kill me, but they clearly underestimate the difficulty of that job. Just know that I will be safe and collect the Master Sword. The Yiga- they originate from a cult that worshiped the very being of hatred that only the Master Sword could destroy, along with other beings of darkness that directly serve it. The Yiga's boldness implied that they may have an ally of that ancient hatred on their side. So be wary."

Link's mind flashed to that note the axe-wielding Yiga had dropped. "...You want me to be aware of any kind of deception?" The possibility of that black-scarfed Yiga being a spy for Zelda popped into his head. It would only make sense for her to have a Yiga spy, what if the axe Yiga was one of them, and the note was an odd way for Zelda to let him know to trust them? No, that didn't make any sense. He almost directly quoted the note but got no kind of reaction.

"I suppose," said Zelda. "As I said, be wary. The Yiga cannot be trusted- never. If you need any sort of help from me, don't be afraid to send a letter or reach out." She held out her hand, and she shook hands with Link. The robot watched her leave and did his best to not worry. She was surrounded by Sheikah guards, and was skilled in both sword fighting and magic, the Yiga wouldn't be able to so much as touch Zelda.

Ghirahim coming up behind Link shook him from his thoughts. "Hey. I thought you were with Midna."

Link blinked at him, noting the bottle of alcohol in his hand. "Is that freshly-bought or are you already drunk?"

"Freshly-bought. I need help with those mechanical horses, so can you come with me?"

"Y-yeah, sure. Wouldn't hurt. I'm in desperate need of fresh air right now."

"Why?"

"I was just in a room with two smokers."

"Damn." Ghirahim patted Link on the head. "Yeah, let's go get our bags, too. We'll be ready whenever, then."