A/N:

Hi! Brief warning for a mention of panic attacks and some blood and one instance of especially bad language.

Otherwise, enjoy!

The four days that followed the initial attack on the castle were oddly calm- even when Midna brought her team out to the city to help get confused and scared people out, they faced little resistance from the Sheikah. The only time she really saw them was when they got close to the castle and could see them watching from atop the castle walls.

Most of the people they helped evacuate lived on the edges, and Midna had admittedly forgotten about monsters when she'd been told that it would be difficult to get people out of that district. She'd just assumed that it was either mazelike or had Sheikah guards until her team was ambushed by a pack of lizalfos. It was a simple fight, but it left one of them injured.

They decided to take a break right then- at the farthest edge of the city, camping in the now deserted and cleared-out home of some citizens that had left the day before. One of her teammates, a Rito engineer named Teba, tended to the injured Yiga's wound. Midna quietly watched him work, then gazed out the window. The junkyard outside eventually fell away to the bare wasteland, which would eventually turn into lush forests or mountains.

"I'm going to get up on the roof," Midna decided, getting her teams' attention. "I'll just keep an eye on things and check for anything strange." Her five teammates nodded quietly, and she gathered up her spear. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky as she stepped outside. The sun beat down on Midna's skin, and yet it didn't hurt her like it would to any normal Twili.

She paused right in front of the house, staring at the horizon. If she focused hard enough, she could notice the spell that had been put on her 200 years ago, keeping her safe from the sunlight. Could she study it? Replicate it so that other Twili could use it?

Midna frowned to herself. Providing that she managed to find a way back to the Twili realm and providing that she even wanted to go back, would they even want the magic? It had been 200 years and there still way no way back. Perhaps they no longer wanted anything to do with Hyrule. She had no real reason to return to the Twili realm other than knowing that she hailed from it.

It had been 200 years- it was fair to assume that no one alive in the Twili realm would recognize her.

Midna turned her back on the wasteland and crawled up on a barrel beside the building and hauled herself up onto the roof. It wasn't a large building, but it must've been fine for those who had lived in it. After all, she lived with two men in a run-down building with a roof that frequently leaked.

Midna began to sit down, intending to bask in the sun and ponder her current situation. But a loud shout from behind her made her leap to her feet, brandishing and activating her spear. On the other side of the roof stood a young Sheikah, who was pointing her sword at Midna's chest. "Traitor!" the Sheikah spat. "You ally yourself with the one who wields the Master Sword! The four of you are supposed to protect Hyrule and Zelda along with it! Traitor!"

Midna lowered her spear and tilted her head to the side. "...Koko? The girl who drove that carriage for a while?"

Koko's face reddened. "That's all I am? Of course- I was just used by you deceivers! A tool in your plan to help aid the destruction of Hyrule. When you next see Link, let him know that he's a disgrace to the very name of the hero of courage!"

Midna sighed. "Koko, that's all just a lie. Just- just put down your sword and listen for a moment, I don't want to hurt you-" She barely got to finish her sentence when Koko lunged. She brought up her spear and Koko's blade clashed against the shaft. "I'm serious, Koko," MIdna growled, shoving back against the shorter girl and sending her stumbling back a few steps. "You're not going to win, so just stand down."

"No member of the Sheikah would ever stand down to Yiga scum," Koko snapped. She lunged again, and this time Midna waved an arm and Koko's blade slammed against a small magical barrier.

"Koko, please. I have no definitive proof, and I know this won't change your mind, but seriously- the Yiga are the ones trying to save Hyrule. Zelda- she's the one trying to destroy Hyrule, and she's manipulating you and the rest of the Sheikah in order to get the Master Sword and destroy it and wreak havoc on more than just Hyrule itself. It's what happened 200 years ago, and since she failed back then, she's trying it again, now that the Master Sword has been found."

"Liar!"

Midna shook her head and released the barrier, stepping aside. Koko stumbled forward, and Midna whacked her on the back, sending her face-first onto the ground. Before she could get back on her feet, Midna planted a foot on the center of her back and jabbed the butt of her spear against her neck. Midna hesitated, then sliced at her sword, cleaving the blade clean in half. "See? We're done. Now listen. Link is trying to save Hyrule, and so am I and the others. Are we allied with the Yiga? Sure. But they've been protecting Hyrule alongside you Sheikah for centuries now. Zelda's been lying all this time, alright?" She stepped off of Koko's back but kept her spear at the ready. "Get out of here. Take your little sister and just... get away from all of this. Had you attacked a true member of the Yiga, they would've killed you."

Koko rolled away and leapt to her feet, glaring at Midna. She didn't even look down at her broken sword. "Then kill me now! You've won, so kill me, or else I'll keep trying to kill you and your traitorous friends."

"And what about your little sister that you've told us about? Is she still in training to kill us, too? Is this really worth it to you too? What does she think about all of this?"

"D-don't bring her into this!"

Midna shook her head. "Just... get away from all of this until it's done. Neither of us have the time for stuff like this little fight. I don't want to have to kill you, partly because I really think you have potential, and partly for your sister's sake." She held out a hand, and Koko glared at it with undisguised hostility- yet Midna could sense a new hesitation. "Why would the chosen hero help the destruction of Hyrule? Besides, wouldn't the sword reject him if he'd become evil? There are all kinds of records of evil beings being unable to even touch the sword. Please just... at least just take your sister and wait this whole thing out."

Koko was silent. Midna felt the heat of the sun beating down on her back- just as it began to become unbearable, Koko turned and sprinted away without another word.

With a heavy sigh, Midna lowered her spear. She rubbed at her forehead and turned to once again face the sun. Everything was just getting messier and messier. For now, until her teammates were ready to go at least, she had time to figure out how she and her friends could save Linebeck.

The air inside Rain Keep was stuffy; Link opened a window the first chance he got. His own room wasn't as dusty as he thought it would be, so he had time to check out Midna and Ghirahim's rooms. He spent a few minutes in Midna's room, reading the names on the spines of books and leaving once he was certain he'd read the last one. In Ghirahim's room, Link lingered long enough to inspect a few of the swords neatly mounted around the room; Damien called for him after a bit. "One moment," Link replied, setting a short sword down. He could only assume that Ghirahim had gotten a few of his swords as rewards for tournaments.

Damien was in Linebeck's room. He leaned against a metal crutch, silently looking around the small, tidy room. He leaned his crutch against the desk and removed the top off of Rusty's enclosure; the lizard peered lazily up at him. Damien rummaged around in a few drawers until he found something to feed Rusty. Link finally entered the room and gently shut the door. "...Do you mind if I open the window?"

"Go ahead. Not my room."

Link started to respond but opted to stay quiet. He pried the window open while Damien fed Rusty. "You think he likes all the sun he's been getting? At least there's a rock in here so that Rusty can hide in the shade," Damien mused.

Link sighed and turned away from the window, briefly looking over the room. The bed looked slept in, or at least like it had been touched. "Are you feeling better?" Link gave Damien a small grin, then continued. "I mean, it's been a few days, and even though you lost a lot of blood and stuff, you were healed with by some skilled Zora with both magic and... normal means. Plus, you're walking with a crutch and stuff."

"I'm recovering well," Damien idly replied, returning the top of the enclosure. "Nothing was broken. It was mostly just loss of blood and some bad cuts, but no organs were harmed. They used magic after the worst of it had been fixed up."

"You should be able to help us when we return to Hyrule Castle, then."

Damien perked up. "When will that be?"

"W-we're not sure." Damien groaned and limped across the room and collapsed on the bed, dropping the crutch. Link rolled his eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. We'll figure it out. We're all worried about Linebeck. But the Sheikah that have been captured and interrogated know very little about his whereabouts, and a few didn't even know that he'd been taken. I'm sure that if Zelda had him killed, she'd make it public in some way."

"And if she just snuffs him out privately?"

Link winced. "I don't know, then. But... Thanks for offering to come with me to check up on this place."

"Yeah, no problem." Damien fully dragged himself onto the mattress and laid quietly on the bed, staring at his crutch on the floor. "He's got a nice room. I've really only been here... a few times. Maybe just once? Either way, his bed is nice."

"You've never slept in it?"

Damien shook his head. "The only time I slept in here, I slept on the floor to give him room. I wonder where he's being kept. The castle has dungeons, right? Goddesses, he might've been thrown into their worst cell."

Link shrugged. "I-I mean, we're talking about Linebeck, here. The man lives off of black coffee and passes out on the floor on a regular basis."

Damien frowned. "Which means he's not in a good mindset. Though he's definitely been doing a lot better these past few weeks. He's stubborn and resourceful, though, and no stranger to less than desirable circumstances. Even if he is stuck in a shitty dungeon, he should be able to survive." He smiled faintly. "I mean, we're talking about the guy who suggested making out in Zelda's closet, he'll at least fight back and do what he can to make the Sheikah regret taking him. Anyways. You've had experience with him just... passing out?"

"Yeah, though mostly when I first woke up." Link sat down in the desk chair. "I think the first time, Bellum helped me wake him up. It was kinda funny, I had to poke him with a rod before Bellum suggested coaxing him awake with coffee. Actually, he must've been out real good, since he didn't even wake up when I whacked him in the crotch." Link paused. "I kicked him in the crotch back when we got the Master Sword, too- he asked me to. Didn't bother him as much as I expected, especially since I know have a few memories of accidentally getting hit down there, and it pretty much had me down for the count."

Damien rolled onto his back. "Not surprising. He's intersex, mixed genitals and all of that. I've seen him naked and he's told me himself. I'm not going into detail. I'm sure you don't want me to go into detail."

"Please don't."

"Mhm. I don't know the specifics. I'm pretty sure Ghirahim and Midna also know, though. We all know. But, yeah, it hurts less when you don't have... that down there. Course, it's a bit more complicated for him, but either way he leans towards... You know what? Let's not keep talking about this."

"You're the only one talking about it."

Damien scoffed. "Okay, I get it." He sighed. "I've taken your advice and I've started carving new things, and I've been thinking about maybe picking up a new hobby, but I just... can't stop thinking about Linebeck. I mean, I had been planning to teach him how to do woodcarvings, too."

Link shrugged. "He's missing and you love him. It makes sense for you to still be thinking about him."

"...Fair. Just... I miss him. A lot. I thought I could treat this like the weeks when we haven't seen each other in a while due to work or simply just... not seeing each other, but... I dunno. This just hurts a lot more."

"This time it's not just distance between you, he was forcibly taken and is now quite possibly in mortal danger. It's reasonable to worry. We're all worried, remember? Ghirahim's taking care of his coat and scarf and Midna is already working to figure out how to get him back and I'm making sure that you stay alive so that you two can see each other again."

"You don't seem too worried."

Link grimaced. "I... that's fair. I... I'm confident that we can save him, but it's hard to tell. I just... I just feel like he's still alive. I mean, we've got some connection since he created me, but there's really no way to tell."

"You could snoop around his workshop," Damien suggested. He turned on his side and faced the wall. "Wouldn't hurt to spend some time and organize things for him."

"...Would he want his stuff organized?"

"Sure. He's mentioned a few times that he's wanted to organize that room but never got around to it. Go check it out. I want to get some sleep."

"C-can I ask a quick question?"

Damien sighed and turned onto his back, glaring sidelong at Link. "Fine."

"What was the first hint you got that something was really wrong with Linebeck's past?" Damien's glare didn't change, and Link suddenly felt uncomfortable. "Y-you don't have to answer right now, I just got curious after you mentioned it a few days ago and-"

"I'll explain it, but then you've got to leave."

"Deal."

Damien groaned and rubbed his face. "I think it was... soon after we started dating, one night when he stayed over at my place. He had a nightmare with snippets of old trauma, and it caused him to have a panic attack. At that point I knew about panic attacks but not what to do, so I remember that I just gave him space and turned on the lights and got him some water. After maybe half an hour, he was calm enough that we moved into the living room for the rest of the night. He did his best to talk about it, but it made him uncomfortable, and he stopped explaining it after I told him that he didn't need to tell me everything.

"I remember that it was just... I felt so frustrated, since I didn't understand what he was dealing with and I couldn't help or do... anything to really make him feel better. Of course, he's gotten better and I understand his pain more, but it still just... hurts. And the day after that first hint, I remember that someone attempted to mug us. Ran off after barely a minute when Linebeck took out his knife. My next shift as a Yiga, I hunted that guy down and beat him to a pulp. Left him alive, since he wasn't connected to the Sheikah, but... I dunno. Linebeck and I... we're violently vindictive. There was his incident with the gambler, and me with muggers." Damien managed a short laugh. "We're both terrible, so we're perfect for each other. At least... once this is over, we'll get a chance to work on that. To be better people, y'know?"

"That's a good idea." Link rose from his chair and put it back in its place. "I'll go now, if that's what you still want. You seem like you're done with your story."

"...I am. I'm just happy that he seemed to be doing genuinely better."

"Get some rest, then. You'll have a better chance when you're all healed up and fit to fight." Link gave Damien one last smile and left the room, shutting the door gently. After a moment, he walked away, heading down the stairs, flinching as they creaked.

The door to Linebeck's workshop was unlocked, and the hinges squealed as Link pushed it open. The room was dark, but Link's eyes quickly adjusted. He found the light switch and flicked it, turning on the hanging lanterns. His eyes once against adjusted to the new light, and he stared around at the familiar room. He hadn't been inside many times, had he? Ironic, since it was where Linebeck initially restored him.

Link carefully walked around the table in the middle of the room, idly staring at the unfinished projects and scattered tools on the counters that lined the perimeter. It was cramped. A few times, Link stepped on screws and shards of metal and was grateful that he was wearing shoes.

As Link surveyed the mess, he figured that that Linebeck had probably been daunted by his own disorganization.

Might as well start with the big stuff; Link resolved to begin by relocating the larger projects to make it easier to see the smaller items and go from there.

"You're back early," Ghirahim said, watching with mild surprise as Midna sulked past him in the hall. "Hey, how'd it go? I thought you were supposed to be out until noon. You're an hour early-"

"I know that I'm early. We got through our entire section, got a lot of people out. I ran into Koko." Midna paused in the dim hall. "You remember Koko, right?"

"Yeah, our guide that one time. So what? She's Sheikah. We couldn't trust her in the first place." Ghirahim waved a hand. "I can only assume that you fought. She didn't seem too skilled, anyways, so it must've been quick."

Midna shrugged. "I won easily. Told her to take her sister and hide until this is all over. Otherwise they'll get hurt, you know? If you see them in the streets during your shift, let them go."

"I'll let my group know, then." Ghirahim relaxed in his chair, idly peering up and down the hall. "Any other news?"

"Not much. Just, it's been bothering me."

Ghirahim crossed his legs and tilted his head. "How come?"

"I mean, we knew her for a bit. Traveled with her. It just feels weird. I can't help but wonder if a few of these Yiga are fighting against some of their own family and friends."

"Of course they are," Ghirahim said. "But we don't have to, since we just know Koko. I'd hate for you to have to kill someone you care about. Well, I'm meant to check out the area near the castle, which might be crawling with Sheikah."

"Spare them if they surrender," Midna decided. "Otherwise just kill them. The more of them we get rid of, the easier it'll be to kill Zelda and find Linebeck. If you spare them, might as well bring them back here to interrogate or something. I'll go tell Ganondorf. Good luck on your shift. It was hot out while I was working, so it might be worse for you and your group since the sun's higher."

"Make us some potions, then." Ghirahim sat up, now grinning. "They've got a lot of resources, but don't really have too many people making potions. Since you've got the free time, maybe you should make some potions for the Yiga! The potion-making room is by the kitchen, it's the dim room with all of the cauldrons. They've got a bunch of ingredients."

Midna blinked. "I'll go check that out, then. Haven't had the time to make potions recently... I've missed it."

"Down the hall, take the first right, and you'll find the kitchen! You can figure it out from there."

"Yeah, thanks, I know where the kitchen is. See you later."

Link moved the last of the screws into its designated piles and sides, standing back. He'd sorted nuts, screws, bolts, spacers, and beams, and it had taken a bit longer than he would've liked. A knock on the door made him jump and he opened it just a crack. "Did you fall asleep for a bit?" Link asked Damien.

Damien shrugged, though the movement was hard to see through just a crack. Link opened the door a bit more and leaned against the door frame. "Yeah, I did. I'm going to go back to the hideout," Damien said, momentarily shifting his weight off of his crutch. "Gonna see if I can do anything other than sit around and make carvings."

"Don't push yourself too hard, then," Link advised. "But good luck. I'll walk back to the hideout when I'm done; haven't had a chance to take a nice walk in a while." Damien gave a small nod, and he turned and began to make his way down the hall. Link pushed the door further open. "Did you dream at all? While you took a nap?"

Damien looked back at Link over his shoulder. "You can't really dream during a nap, you're not asleep long enough for it. But I did doze, and my mind did wander on its own, and I did imagine some stuff that felt like a dream."

"Like what?"

"I imagined walking through a forest like the one near Zora's domain. It was very serene... I think I'll want to re-visit that forest once this is all over. It's a good place to think. I've always liked forests, and the one near Zora's domain... it's very untamed. I had been able to explore it during old jobs but never got to go really far. I think I'll try and map out that entire forest after all of this. There are recently made maps, but people are much more hesitant to go far. I've been considering talking to Linebeck about it, since he's made maps for fun in the past, and he's been wanting to take some time and explore around for a bit." Damien shrugged. "No matter what, though, I think I'll revisit that forest to do some thinking. For the sake of memories, maybe. Since we all got earrings and stuff in Zora's Domain. But... I'll go to that forest again. I kind of miss it. It was beautiful."

Link couldn't help but grin a bit. "You didn't mention that while we were there."

"It came to me in the past few days."

Ghirahim flinched each time he heard the crutch behind him, and eventually sighed and glanced over his shoulder. Most of the people in his group were people he didn't know but were trusted enough by Ganondorf to go with him and scout out the castle and surrounding city. And then there was Damien, following them at a decent rate with his crutch. Ghirahim frowned, more to himself then at Damien. "Are you sure Ganondorf said you could come with us? I mean... you're still recovering. Do- do you actually need that crutch?"

"Not really, but my leg is still too weak for me to safely put much weight on it. And don't worry, I did ask him about it, and I am to stay at a distance from danger. I'm just tagging along to get some fresh air and information about what's going on outside the hideout." Damien shrugged as best as he could. "I won't interfere."

"...Fine. Well, as you know, we're going to get close to the castle, so if we get attacked, either hide or get back to the hideout."

"I know. Let me know when we're going to stop; I brought stuff to work on some woodcarvings while you work." Damien grinned and held up a small bag.

"...Right. Well, do your best to keep up. We won't be doing much evacuation, unless we're asked for help." Damien and the rest of the group nodded, and they continued down the empty city street.

The sun beat down on them, erasing any idea to wear their heavier clothes, and even Ghirahim shed his cloak after half an hour. The buildings' shadows became longer as the sun was slowly making its way down below the horizon. It seemed that no one lived near the castle anymore; the only living beings they encountered were animals, mostly birds.

They took a break on one of the main streets, with the castle at the end of the street. Ghirahim kicked over an empty trash can and sat on it, drawing his sword and inspecting it. Most of the group milled around, almost all of them in usual Yiga uniform. The only one he'd heard the name of was Harth, one of the Rito. The four others hadn't provided their names, and if they had, Ghirahim hadn't heard. Damien made his way over to Ghirahim and sat down on the overturned trash can next to him, leaning the crutch against it. "This isn't very eventful."

"Yeah, I figured," Ghirahim muttered, watching Damien start on a small wood carving. "The most interesting thing that happens is that we get interesting rumors; Harth told me, a few minutes ago, that other groups had noticed weird injuries among the Sheikah in their medical wing."

"People are sneaking into the Sheikah medical wing?"

"More or less. But, anyways, there's apparently a group of injured Sheikah with strange injuries- they have parts of their ears torn off, a few have missing fingers, broken jaws and hands and knees, and a few?" Ghirahim lowered his voice. "Some of those poor bastards had their genitals crushed." Damien winced. "Yeah. Dunno who's doing all of this, since it's not Yiga style, right? Things like broken noses and limbs and the like make sense, but torn ears and messily removed fingers?"

Damien set his half-finished carving on his lap and tilted his head. "Could just be some younger Yiga attacking in a more childish way."

Ghirahim shrugged. He sighed and momentarily looked up and down the street, peering at the long shadows of the buildings. It was still hot out, but slowly cooling down. He glanced over at Damien and blinked. "What are you staring at me for?"

"I'm just looking at your earring." Damien reached out and tapped Ghirahim's pale blue earring, grinning slightly. "I'm glad that you're still wearing it. We got that in Zora's Domain, didn't we? And Link got his little rings, Midna got her hair thing, and Linebeck got... the one he got at Zora's Domain was the little green stone on a chain, yeah."

"He got the smaller ones, later, at Lurelin, correct?" Ghirahim leaned back as much as he safely could. "Those five colored rings, all along the top of his ear... I never thought he was much for jewelry until he bought some for us all, though I suppose it makes sense."

Damien smiled and held up his carving, turning it over in his hands. "I'm pretty sure the only reason he never got anything before was that the stuff in the city is lower-quality. Gotta leave the city to find the good craftsmen, unless you're looking for engineers."

Footsteps suddenly echoed down the street. Ghirahim straightened back up, he and the rest of his group staring at the newcomers. "And I can only assume that if you want to find the best engineer, you need to find that shabby little house in the middle of the wasteland," Zelda sighed, followed by a group of Sheikah. She halted along with her followers a fair distance from the Yiga, narrowing her eyes at them. "Although, that's not really an option right now, is it?"

Ghirahim leapt to his feet, drawing his sword, the rest of his group doing the same. Damien struggled to get to his feet, but Ghirahim held an arm up in front of him. "Don't do anything rash," he muttered. "Get out of here."

"Like hell I will." Ghirahim shot Damien a warning glare, but he ignored him, staring right at Zelda.

Zelda surveyed the group for a moment, but her gaze eventually stopped at Ghirahim and Damien. "I'm not the type to eavesdrop, but I must agree; all of you in that little group do have decent accessories. And the Zora are capable of creating beautiful pieces of jewelry." She held up her hand and regarded it; it was curled into a fist, as if she was holding something small enough to fit in her palm. "The ones created in Lurelin are wonderful as well. Lancrester's earrings are from both Lurelin and Zora's domain, correct? Tch, wearing all of them on the right ear... that rat wouldn't know subtlety if it tore his remaining limbs off." She opened her and hand and peered at what she held, then threw whatever it was at the group.

Ghirahim tensed up, but relaxed as he saw that it was just a collection of small items, which glimmered in the afternoon light before clattering on the stone ground between the two groups. They no longer shone in the shadows, and Ghirahim could see that they all were mostly red, with glimpses of other colors- his eyesight wasn't good enough to discern the details. Besides him, Damien attempted to lunge forward; Ghirahim nearly dropped him sword in restraining him, tightly wrapping his arms around Damien as he tried to reach Zelda, shouting at her, "Y-you bitch, you cruel bastard, get over here so I can kill you already! I swear to the damned goddesses that I'll make you fucking pay to whatever you've done to him-"

Zelda only curled her lip, raising an eyebrow. "You're his boyfriend, correct? Damien Fletcher? Seems you're just as vulgar, another obstinately wild animal that ought to be put down like you deserve." At that, Damien managed to wriggle out of Ghirahim's grasp. His dash was lurching due to his injured leg, and Ghirahim managed to tackle him to the ground before he got too close. Damien wriggled angrily, glaring venomously up a Zelda, who smirked down at the pair of them on the ground. "My, should we get you checked for rabies? Or maybe I should make this easier for all of us and snuff you out right now, since it seems like you're causing problems for both friend and foe, hm?"

Zelda waved a hand in an almost calm manner, but Ghirahim was acutely aware of the sudden sense of magic in the air. He quickly hooked his arms under Damien's and dragged him back, growling, "Calm down, I'm trying to save your life!" Damien's eyes widened and he quit struggling, allowing Ghirahim to pull him out of the way; barely a moment later, a spearhead of pure magical energy materialized in the air and slammed down where Ghirahim and Damien had been just before, gouging out a shallow hole in the street.

Ghirahim dumped Damien on the ground and stepped in front of him, arms out. Zelda narrowed her eyes at him, then waved her hand again. This time, Ghirahim set up an angled barrier above them, and the magical spearhead slammed down on that barrier. Ghirahim stumbled; the spearhead slid off his barrier and crashed into the ground a few feet away, but the sheer force of it had nearly broken his focus and left him exhausted from the energy he expended to maintain the magic.

Before Zelda could attack again, Ghirahim whipped around and shouted at his group, "Get out of here! We've done what we needed, and we can't afford to stay any longer!" They all nodded and disappeared within moments; Ghirahim's heart skipped a beat when he turned back around and found Damien weakly trying to reach whatever Zelda had thrown. Ghirahim rushed over to him, hissing, "You damn moron, do you want to die?"

"P-please... give me a moment, I need t-to keep these..." Damien didn't look back at Ghirahim or even slow down in what he was doing. Gritting his teeth, Ghirahim stared up at Zelda. If Damien was quick enough, he could grab what she'd thrown and then send the two of them back to the hideout before getting hurt or worse. So, he resigned himself to a few moments of staring at Zelda whilst practically standing over Damien, ready to create another magical barrier at any moment.

The moment that Damien's hand closed over the small items, Zelda waved her hand. Reflexively, Ghirahim set up another barrier, but soon had to shift it from above them to right in front as he spotted the new magical spearhead rushing at them directly from Zelda. It collided with his barrier, and Ghirahim was practically knocked off his feet, exhaustion quickly setting in as he strained to keep his barrier from shattering.

Fury washed over Zelda's features, and as her magic clashed with Ghirahim's barrier, she turned her rage back to Damien, who was stuffing the items into his pocket. "I see you're just as worthlessly sentimental! Putting your allies in danger for your own infatuated purposes- Might as well call your friend off so that I can beat you into submission and help you join that bastard that you love so much!" She grinned wolfishly, watching him hesitate and falter. "You Yiga fools are destined to fail... You see his blood, Fletcher? See what your stupid resistance has led to? There's so much more you haven't seen, fool, and you make me want to collect more souvenirs like those to show you what your bullheadedness has led to."

Just as Zelda's magic threatened to destroy the barrier, Damien wrapped an arm around Ghirahim's leg, and there was the muffled sound of the tear of paper. Everything went dark for a moment, Ghirahim felt both that his magic had released and that he was momentarily floating, and he and Damien suddenly collapsed on the floor of one of the hideout halls.

Ghirahim gasped for breath, unable to push himself into a sitting position. Sustaining the barrier against such a powerful force had drained him of nearly all of his energy, and he nearly fell asleep on the floor. Still, Ghirahim shoved himself onto his back. Damien lay on the floor near him, trying to fish the items out of his pocket. Down the hall, some Yiga rushed over.

"...Hope that was worth it," Ghirahim rasped, more curious than angry. "What even... were those? I never got a good look."

Damien finally managed to grab what he'd taken. He held them out, a collected of small items, and Ghirahim found enough strength to prop himself up on his elbows. "Y-your crutch," Ghirahim realized, almost laughing, still not looking at what Damien held. "We left your crutch..."

"Forget the crutch," Damien muttered.

Ghirahim nodded, then finally took a look at what Zelda had thrown at them, and the blood in his veins turned ice-cold.

There, in Damien's hand, covered in dried blood, were six earrings, five of which were small rings and the sixth being a jewel on the end of a chain.

Ghirahim reached out and took the one with the chain, hand shaking as he held up Linebeck's blood-covered earring. He dropped it back into Damien's palm. "Th-those... Goddesses, they must've been torn right out of his ear."

"N-no kidding," Damien rasped, staring down at the bloodied earrings. "I... that's too much blood for if they'd just... torn them out." His breathing shook, and he wiped at his eyes, though it only made the tears in his eyes all the more obvious. "I... I-it's stupid, but what she said h-hurt, you know? I d-don't want to imagine... H-haven't wanted to imagine... B-but after what she said... a-and with what I'm h-holding..." He weakly trailed off and practically collapsed into Ghirahim, burying his face in his shoulder.

With what little strength he managed to recover, Ghirahim sat up as best he could and wrapped an arm around Damien's shoulders. The group of Yiga neared them, nervously staring at them. "We're- I'm not injured," he quickly said. "Damien doesn't appear to be hurt, either- please, just bring me a stamina potion. I'll report to Ganondorf later."

The Yiga nervously nodded and all disappeared in puffs of smoke and paper amulets, leaving the two of them alone in the hall. Damien's breaths came in shallow gasps, and Ghirahim did nothing to pry him away. "...I'll take you to my room, alright? You can get some rest, and I've got his scarf and coat in there... I'll help you find somewhere to keep those earrings until- until we see him again."

Damien nodded. "Y-yeah. We'll see him again... W-we'll kill Zelda and you guys w-will save Hyrule a-and everything will be fine." He straightened up and rubbed at his eyes again, scowling to himself. "N-no time to mope a-around, right? I-I'll rest, a-and we can go out again."

"Yeah," Ghirahim whispered. "Link and Midna and I- It's our duty to save Hyrule, but it's Linebeck's duty, too. I can focus on helping him, too, with the argument that he deserves to be with us when this is all resolved. I don't know what Ganondorf might think, but I can bring it up and go from there. I owe Linebeck for a lot even though he's more or less forgiven me." He lowered his voice as the Yiga returned. "I'll help you out, even get you into the castle when we get the chance while the others focus on getting rid of Zelda."

"R-right. Thanks. I... would assume we should try and get to the dungeons. A-a-and hope that he's still alive and sane."

Ghirahim nodded, accepting a stamina potion from one of the Yiga. He uncorked it and took a few sips, then dismissed them as he felt his exhaustion dissipate. "Now, then," Ghirahim said, getting to his feet and then helping Damien up. "Put your arm around my shoulders; you can lean on me; my room isn't far. Then you can rest and I can report to Ganondorf, and we can discuss this later." He took another sip of the potion, shaking his head slightly. "When we get the chance, we should hold some kind of meeting with Link and Midna, too. Let them know what we know and come up with some kind of plan."

Damien didn't verbally respond but nodded. He leaned against Ghirahim as they walked to his room, putting little to no weight on his recovering leg. Slung over his shoulder was his carvings bag, and he reached his free hand in. "I... need somewhere to keep the earrings for Linebeck. For when we find him, I'm sure he wants these back."

"I'm sure I've got a spare jar," Ghirahim mused, patting Damien on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, alright?"

"Thanks," mumbled Damien.

They reached Ghirahim's room within the next few minutes, and Damien limped over to the couch the moment they entered. Ghirahim closed and locked the door while Damien got comfortable. With the door locked, Ghirahim flicked on most of the lights and checked in the bathroom and bedroom. In his bedroom, neatly folded up on a chair, were Linebeck's coat and scarf. He carefully gathered them up and found a small jar in his bedside table drawer.

"I could make some tea or something," Ghirahim offered as he returned to his living room. "If you'd like." He set the jar on the coffee table, then held up the coat and scarf, properly getting Damien's attention.

"You can go ahead and make some tea," Damien murmured, carefully taking the coat from Ghirahim, leaving the scarf on the coffee table. "Though I'm going to get some more sleep. I'm exhausted," Damien said, gently unfolding the coat and putting it on. "...His coat's always so comfortable, even with stuff in those hidden pockets." Ghirahim walked away to make the tea, and Damien shifted on the couch, getting himself a pillow. "Did you guys ever know about the pockets on the inside of his coat?"

"We knew from the start," Ghirahim responded. "He found them at the same time as the rest of us, when we first woke up here." He filled a pot with water and silently watched it boil. As bubbles appeared on the water's surface, Ghrahim glanced over his shoulder. Damien had evidently fallen asleep after putting the bloodied earrings in the jar. He lay curled up in Linebeck's coat, snoring quietly.

With a sigh, Ghirahim turned back to the pot of water and silently watched it boil.