Welp, back to the front.

Chapter XXIX

"Hey, Link?"

"Yeah?"

"I know this is asking a lot, but…" Where was Malon going with this? "D'you think you'll ever tell us about the places you've gone and the things you've done?"

My expression tightened. We were in the stables for the day– winter had officially set in, but it was mercifully warm inside. Ingo and Talon were off on a business trip to Castle Town, and the ranch didn't have any other workers, so us teens were holding down the fort. She had probably been waiting for us to be alone to spring the question, so I didn't feel pressured by her father or her coworker's presence. "You know I can't answer that." The last time I talked about what had happened with any form of candor, I had played the Elegy of Emptiness for Ashe in the Garreg Mach library. I could never allow something like that to happen again. The book was different– after all, it never had to be shared like a verbal tale did.

"Was it really all so terrible?" she asked. I tried to still my beating heart. It didn't work. Why couldn't I have a core like Solon or Kronya or Byleth? It would have been a lot more convenient. Katáktisi chimed in with a thrum of derision.

"In a word?" I replied with a sharp inhale. "Yes."

The farm girl's eyebrows lowered. "I'm not so sure if I believe you, Fairy Man."

"What happened to 'Fairy Boy'?"

"You grew up. Now stop avoiding the subject."

I moved closer to Epona, who was eying me from her stall as though she was just as suspicious of me as Malon probably was. "I don't… Listen, I try to avoid getting too close to people. Because if there's anything I've learned from traveling the world, it's that there's always a parting. Nothing ever lasts."

She was silent for a long time. I broke eye contact, unable to match the flames of resolve in her face. "You're right." I blinked. She was agreeing with me? But her expression hadn't changed. "We've been friends since childhood, yet there's very little I know about you or even the world outside of Hyrule. What does a dumb farm girl know?"

I ran my own words over in my mind and immediately cringed. My phrasing could have been a lot better. Hindsight was clearer than glass, I supposed. "Malon, hey, I didn't– no, not like–" Great, now it sounded like I was rushing just to assuage her feelings and not because I actually meant it. "It's not that you don't deserve to know. It's… I'm not… ready to talk about it."

Thankfully, the anger in her expression softened. I remembered how Talon had reacted when I first met him– Malon had a temper that could rival Din herself. "What do you mean by that?"

"A lot of the stories I have to tell… hurt. I'm certain they'll hurt until the day I die."

"I don't want you to go n' get all mad, but maybe locking everything away is only going to make it hurt more. If you let everything sit and fester, it's not going to get any better, is it?"

She was right, of course. "I did try to talk about those things with someone in Fodra– nobody you know– and it did feel… right. But in the end, I only ended up hurting both of us." Well, myself more than him, anyway. "I don't want the same thing to happen between you and I, because… you're a really important friend to me. And I don't want to lose what I have with you, like I lost what I had with him."

Malon considered my words. "I'd still… like to know. If I promised not to think of you any differently, would you reconsider?"

Was that a promise she could keep?

My silence answered for me. "That's fine," she relented, her voice even and her cadence flat. I felt even worse than before. She turned away to refocus on her work.

"Malon."

She didn't face me again.

"Malon."

"What?"

"Maybe I can force myself to talk about it," I admitted. "In very broad strokes. For a little bit. Without getting into specifics."

She finally looked at me, her posture soft and warm. "I'm not going to guilt-trip you into this," she said. "If you don't want to do it, I won't force you."

"It's not a matter of wanting it or not," I asserted. "I have a responsibility to myself. And I owe you, I think."

Her work forgotten, she pulled me into a tender embrace. My spine stiffened despite myself. I uncomfortably brought my hands around her until the awkward and tense feeling subsided.

"So. Spill."

"Give me five, I need to rehearse."

She laughed, and let me go.

We hadn't gotten very far. Really, I had just described Termina and Fodra to Malon. I had steered far clear of talking about anything I had actually done in the former, and I hadn't wrapped around to what I'd done in Fodra because the context needed was overwhelming. I mean, I had to describe the nations and the territories and the Church and Crests and absolutely not the Agarthans or the Nabateans… it was a lot, and by the time I wrapped that up, evening had come and Talon and Ingo had come back from their day trip so we had to stop anyway. I had noticed that she had been extra invested whenever I talked about Faerghus or its people. I wondered why.

While I was in Hyrule, I may as well make use of myself. Prepare for the journeys ahead of me. I had to stock up on Green Potions– Blue Potions would be preferred if those existed yet– arrows, bombs, Bombchus, maybe a Fairy or two… what else could I possibly grab while I was here?

There was another option that was only open to me now that I was in my dimension of origin, now that I thought about it. Big Fairies were distinctly different from regular fairies, and also restored magic. Better yet, they could wipe away many ailments, even more efficiently than Red Potions, and they lacked the wings that Navi had once had. Really, it was the best option. Sure, it had been too large to fit in a bottle last time I had tried, but my inserting-things-into-bottles technique had gotten much better since then. If I could make a Deku Princess fit into one of my beloved bottles, surely I could stuff a Big Fairy in there too. But where the hell could I find such a being? I had only ever seen one once…

Deep in the Shadow Temple.

I groaned lowly as the realization hit. I had already crawled through that nightmare fuel given physical form once. I still had nightmares about it from time to time, although admittedly it had been overshadowed by the Bottom of the Well and, more recently, the entirety of Termina. The dungeons in Enbarr had a similar energy, almost, but it wasn't the same. But still– I didn't want to ever set foot in that oversized torture chamber ever again. Would I even be able to get past the first room? The Hover Boots I had once used to bridge that bottomless chasm wouldn't fit with my ungainly teenage feet.

Then again, what other option did I have? I couldn't pull any punches in the battle against Caiaphas that was sure to come. I would need every resource at my disposal, wouldn't I?

Mentally steeling myself for the trials that were to come, I played the Nocturne of Shadow, and was yanked away by a storm of purple light, deep into the Kakariko Graveyard. The entrance was carved into the side of the rock, and the plateau on which the pedestal sat was completely inaccessible from the graveyard proper. It was raining, seeping into my attire, and because of the clouds I couldn't tell what time it was. I whacked a nearby Gossip Stone. "Boing, boing! The time is 8:02 AM!" it announced. Okay, I was making tolerable time.

I stalked down a flight of stairs into the cavernous antechamber. There was a single dais surrounded by torches, sitting untouched in front of a giant stone door with the emblem of the Sheikah emblazoned upon it. A quick blast of Din's Fire quickly ignited them all, causing the great stone door emblazoned with the Sheikah insignia to slowly slide open. As soon as I could realistically fit myself through the gap, I all but threw myself headfirst into the Temple.

Before I continued, it was probably prudent to slap down a warp point by the medium of Farore's Wind, just in case something went south or I had to leave quickly. I rounded the corner and immediately Hookshotted across a short gap. Beyond it was a painting with a demonic, laughing face. It had been a long time since I had last set my eyes on it. Frankly, it wasn't long enough.

"The Shadow Temple will yield only to the Eye of Truth, handed down in Kakariko Village," the painting said ominously. Fortunately, I knew all too well what it meant. I didn't actually have the Lens of Truth on me– the Hyrulean one because of time travel, and the Terminian one because I had combined it with the Mask of Truth for ease of use back before I gave it away. How much of a problem could that be, though? I already knew all this dungeon's tricks.

I ignored the raven statue surrounded by skull torches in the center of the room, instead veering left and walking through another illusory painting. Beyond it was a door, which I opened and shut behind me. The proceeding hallway looked like a dead end, but I knew better. The skulls blabbed on and on about how 'only the eye of truth would allow me to see through the darkness' and 'here is gathered Hyrule's bloody history of greed and hatred', like I wasn't already acutely aware. Didn't they realize who they were talking to? Probably not, because they were inanimate objects, but still.

A sense of exasperation made itself known in the corner of my mind, as though Katáktisi was saying Really? I ignored it.

Before me were two duos of square rooms. The floor and ceiling were made of what appeared to be thousands of corpses, crushed together into a thick, solid paste of meat and flesh and bone. Despite myself, I treaded lightly, ever victim to the irrational fear that it would open up, to swallow me whole. That was a ridiculous thought, though. The Dead Hand wasn't until the next room.

I walked through an illusion and was greeted by the pallid limbs, stretching up towards the heavens from their roots in the fetid soil. If I'd had the Lens of Truth on me, I would have been able to see exactly where the main body of this freakish monster was lying in wait, ever awaiting the moment I would get too close to the hands.

I felt a wave of morbid curiosity. I could almost hear Katáktisi asking What in Sothis' unholy name is that.

That's a Dead Hand, I narrated. What's the matter? Unnerved?

The Crestwraith felt offended by that insinuation. Then a flicker of… appreciation, directed at the tainted wretch.

You– I just– Katáktisi, what the hell is wrong with you?

A feeling of coyness, as though to say Perhaps it is merely an acquired taste.

If by 'acquired' you mean bad, then yes. Yes it is.

I intended to keep as far clear of the hands as possible. Who knew how many traumatic memories that would stir up, especially given the fact that I was still locked in this too-small form. And now that I was back in Hyrule, I could just buy more bombs. I had plenty of cash I could burn.

I withdrew an explosive from my pouch, set it alight, and delicately placed it in a random location before making myself scarce. It exploded, sending bits of the floor with it in a tidal wave of bone and decomposing bits, but the main body of the Dead Hand did not emerge. I tried again in a different spot with the same result. The third try turned out to be the charm, as the miniature tsunami of rotting flesh was accompanied by a hideous growth surging out of the grime, head up as it slowly shuffled towards me. I equipped the Great Fairy's Sword, hoping its superior reach would allow me to strike it sooner, and risk less pain on my own behalf. This entire deathtrap was an infection waiting to happen.

Once it finally got close, I didn't hesitate for a second. I threw myself into the air, bringing down my multicolored sword with a brutal stabbing motion, shoving the blade down its gullet into its lengthy esophagus. With a quick twist, blood and guts spurted every which way as its throat was slit from the inside out, covering my tunic in the viscera. I would definitely have to take a lengthy swim in Lake Hylia after this. I was certain that this level of carnage baked into my clothes would freak the hell out of anyone who laid eyes on me, and I didn't want it to be a problem for Malon.

The eldritch beast collapsed, twitching, still drawing rotten breath. I smacked it a few more times with my blade until it faded out of existence– good riddance– and when I turned away from the unsealing door, I found that a large chest had appeared in the wake of the creature's end. As I expected, it contained the Hover Boots. As I feared, they were way too big. Fortunately, one of my few skills that weren't tied to committing egregious war crimes was solving puzzles. I withdrew a few bandages that I had purchased from Clock Town years ago, back when my face was still covered in lacerations from when Μιζέρια's Wrath had whipped me into a particularly nasty shape. That had been right before I first donned Katáktisi. It couldn't have repaired that damage even if it wanted to. I put the Hover Boots on in place of my regular boots, and tied the gauze tight around my ankles. It cut off the blood flow to my feet a bit, but the boots stayed on and that was enough for now. I could take it off as soon as I crossed that chasm.

I nearly crashed into the wall on at least three occasions, having forgotten about the fact that these boots had absolutely zero traction. It was like walking on the slickest ice imaginable. I hated it. Regardless, I made my way back to the first chamber. Without the Mask of Truth, it was actually impossible to identify which skull torch was the correct one. I would have to go by memory. Hoping for the best, I put my hand on the protrusion of the raven statue and pushed.

I immediately ran into a problem.

No matter how much force I put into the accursed thing, it just wouldn't budge. I had grown tired of this flesh prison ages ago, but I couldn't help but once again curse this stupid body. Why couldn't my body get the memo? I was supposed to be at least eighteen… maybe more. My perception of time was understandably all sorts of screwed up– I could count to ten seconds on the dot, but I couldn't tell my own age.

Grumbling softly, I donned the Goron Mask. There was a solidness to the sensation, like being swept up in an avalanche or a mudslide. The form of Darmani III was stalwart and unyielding, heavy enough to not be pushed around by the tide. It was easy to use its increased strength to overcome friction and face the raven in the correct direction. The torches ignited, and the grate over the mouth-themed exit slowly slid open, on the other side of that seemingly-bottomless chasm. I took off the transformation and backed up, wanting to get a running start for this leap of faith. Mustering my courage, I sprinted forwards on frictionless feet, making contact with nothing as the Hover Boots did their work.

All too soon, I started to fall.

I was just barely able to reach out and grab the lolling metal tongue. Sweat ran along my fingertips as I yanked myself onto the precipice, getting as far away from the edge as possible. That had been too close for comfort.

I wasted no time in getting the boots off. I hated walking around in those things.

The following hallway was made of stone, leading into a small antechamber with three paths and a Beamos. The rightward path was a dud, the forward path was blocked by a locked door, and the left path had the very key I was looking for. I veered left, through a false pile of bones, and completed a Silver Rupee puzzle while bobbing and weaving under and around giant twin scythes. With that done, I doubled back and detonated the actual pile of bones blocking the central route. I elected to not blow up the Beamos, mostly just because I didn't feel like it.

The long, winding path deeper into the dungeon was filled with Giant Skulltulas, Wallmasters, and oscillating guillotines. The walls were just as spattered with blood and… various other internal fluids as I remembered. That eventually opened up into a giant open area, complete with a yawning chasm stretching downwards into the bowels of the planet itself. I ducked under several guillotines, swatting a Fire Bubble into the depths with my shield, and proceeded to completely disregard a Stalfos that fell down from somewhere to try and filet me like I was wearing the Zora Mask or something. I threw myself off of the platform and onto a rising platform connected to the roof with rusted chains, successfully evading that jagged sword. The Stalfos let out an angry Nyeh heh heh before throwing itself towards me, only to prove that it was not so athletic by swandiving directly into the abyss. What a loser. Couldn't be me.

Katáktisi buzzed with confusion as we waited for the platform to fully ascend. It was probably wondering why, despite all I knew of battles from crucibles such as this, I could still not best the humans of Fodra when first I arrived. The situation was better now– I could hold my own in a fight in that world despite the biological disadvantages of being a teenager with crippling dysphoria.

It's different, I informed. It takes a very different skillset to deal with these beasts. It's a thing of patience, of timing. It's not like that in Fodra– in those fights, it's all action, pushing for an advantage. It wasn't until I fixed that that discrepancy in my mindset that I could win battles there.

I hopped off the platform onto a raised section of earth, completing another silver rupee puzzle while dodging spikes and a Beamos, before proceeding to drag a giant block– unaided by Darmani, to my intense joy– to block a rain of spikes so I could acquire another Small Key. From there, it was a straight shot across the expanse via Hover Boots to a locked door, which I opened with gusto.

The following room had three sets of invisible spikes, a bunch of Silver Rupees, and two Redeads. I played the Sun's Song to pacify them, cut them to pieces with the Great Fairy's Sword, and then Hookshotted all over the room on invisible panels to collect the Rupees. Now that I thought about it, my Rupee wallet was getting pretty full, which is something I never thought I would say after learning that Forda used gold for currency instead. I hadn't even been back in Hyrule all that long. I guess I could commission someone to make a teen-sized Zora and Goron tunic, on top of getting an adult-sized one for when I grew out of the custom ones. That was actually a great idea. I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it sooner.

Collecting all the silver rupees unlocked a side door. I stepped inside and immediately had my face chewed by a Keese. Great. Needless to say, that Keese quickly became past tense, as did the other bats in the room. Afterwards, it was simply a matter of chucking a Bomb Flower into the flaming massive skull bucket thing so that it would explode and reveal the Small Key. Object in hand, I Hookshotted up to the parapet and stepped through the formerly locked door.

I rounded the corner of the hallway and was immediately buffered by the giant fans. Shoot, I didn't have the Iron Boots. I guess I'd need Darmani's help again after all. After pain coiled around every fiber of my being, the wind was no longer a problem. I continued down the winding hallway, casually punching a Skulltula into pulp, before rounding another corner and freezing.

I needed to use the Hookshot. I couldn't exactly do that with my oversized stone hands. I waited until the fans ceased temporarily. When they did, I quickly tore off the mask and Hookshotted across the small abyss using a wooden beam, wasting no time in hopping downwards onto a thin walkway surrounded by sheer drops. On the walls were more fans, blowing with enough force to toss me cleanly into that blackness. I knew there was an invisible exit embedded in one of the walls, but the Big Fairy I was interested in lay not deeper in the dungeon, but in the cramped room made of compacted corpses at the end of the walkway. Reshifting into a Goron, I rolled through the fans and stepped through the door, immediately whipping out my ocarina– which was transformed into a set of drums whenever I wore the mask, for some reason– and played the Sun's Song. This summoned the gold orb and also conveniently stunned the pair of Gibdos that were all too eager to scream horrifically at me and pulverize the back of my neck. I doffed the mask and proceeded to violently stuff the fairy in a bottle. It fit, but just barely.

Fantastic. That was all I needed. Now just to make my way out...

"Why are you here?"

I froze, every instinct screaming for me to draw my blade and cut down the progenitor of that voice. I quelled that thought; I knew this voice. I had heard it before, ages and ages ago. It was cold, intense, demanding… but not quite unfriendly, either. "What's it to you?"

"There is nothing for you in this place. I would have thought you would have at least seen the Princess, were you in Hyrule again."

"I needed a Big Fairy. This is the only place I knew to find it. How did you know I was here, anyway?"

"Did you think you could enter my Temple without me sensing it?"

I processed that information. I rejected the conclusion that I was brought to. I turned to the voice. She looked exactly like how I remembered her. "'Your' Temple, Impa?"

"Sage of Shadow, Shadow Temple," she stated. "I will leave it to you to connect the dots."

"You. Sage of Shadow."

She nodded. Terror, panic, and visceral disgust coiled around my heart. Impa had known this entire time and hadn't said a word? Why not!?

"You remember. And Zelda… doesn't," I ascertained, keeping my words calm and level despite my internal screaming.

"She does not."

Katáktisi flickered with concern. Don't, Katáktisi. Just don't.

"She betrayed me. Both of you did. Used me to kill Ganondorf and then threw me away." I could keep the vitriol out of my voice no longer.

"The Ocarina of Time was supposed to erase your memories as well," the caretaker revealed. "The six Sages were to stop Ganondorf. Zelda intended for both you and her to… live your lives. Live the childhoods you both lost. Obviously, that did not go as planned. You are still the brave lad I taught the Princess' lullaby to, all that time ago." She looked like she wanted to say more, but she bit her tongue.

"I… don't know how to feel about this," I confessed, voice heavy with emotion. I had always thought I had been mind-numbingly alone, bearing memories that were not shared, a walking paradox. Now… there were people who could not quite understand, but could get close enough. I guess. They would have to join Ashe in that pantheon.

This revelation raised several very pertinent problems. It had been my fault that Ganondorf had gotten access to the Sacred Realm, my fault that Hyrule suffered for seven years, my fault that they had had that time stolen from them, my fault that I had tainted our connections, my fault that I couldn't take their sorrow away, my fault that–

"Link," Impa stated, interrupting my train of thought. "I understand if you do not wish to meet with the princess. I will not force you, even despite my personal feelings. But there is… something else. Something that we, the Sages, agreed to do should you ever return to Hyrule."

"I… why didn't you tell me before? When I turned him in… you could have saved me a lot of pain if you had just told me that I wasn't alone."

The Sheikah pursed her lips. "We had believed that your limited clairvoyance, or the Great Deku Tree's death, had informed you of his evil intentions. That you had come the same way as you had been before you became the Hero of Time… We did not wish to risk the chance that we were wrong, and only cause you confusion and pain. That discrepancy will be rectified."

"I…" Somehow, I did feel just a little better. "I see. Thank you, Impa. What is it that you wished to do?"

"We only knew of your return visit when Zelda informed me that you had brought back the Ocarina of Time. To ensure that such an event does not happen again, I offer you this!"

The Sage of Shadow flickered for a moment, as though she were truly just a projection of light on the wall of a cave. When she again solidified and became corporeal, she was holding something. I couldn't quite make it out in the gloom, but Katáktisi was pretty quickly able to identify it as a pair of pants, almost like a kilt. Armored ones, at that. Even in the dim light, I could see the thick copper-colored chainmail, draped with red paint. My upstairs neighbor was already buzzing with ideas.

"It is part of the armor set worn by the most elite of Hylian Knights, those sworn to protect the Royal Family with their lives." I had never seen it before. It must have been incredibly rare and prestigious. "It is custom-made for the measurements of your adult self, so that you may wear it for as long as you wish. The other pieces lie with the other Sages."

Using my own kleptomaniacal tendencies against me? Clever. A bit insulting, but clever. "I was already planning to visit them," I lied, "but… thank you."

"Many lost souls linger in this place," Impa said, a slightly warmer tone in her voice than usual. That wasn't saying much, but still. "I can sense the shadow that swirls around you. I would advise you not to become one of them." And with that, in the flash of a Deku Nut, Zelda's caretaker was gone.

Was I nervous? Maybe a little. I had never actually done this before, which was kind of weird because I very obviously had. Rauru had been the one to manage my attire while the Sword that Seals the Darkness put me in a time-out for seven years. I had never really thought about how that worked. Honestly, looking back on it I probably should have been freaking out far more than I was. I had long had a tendency to bottle up everything I felt, to the point where I barely express much of anything anymore. I had been putting in tireless effort to unlearn that lesson, but a hand that lingered on a hot stove was never burned twice.

I hadn't thought about getting piercings before. Which was weird, because I had definitely had earrings back when I was seventeen or ten or something like that. I was admittedly kind of embarrassed that I hadn't thought about it sooner– just another step towards killing the dysphoria that still clung to me like a sixth skin.

Maybe it was for the best that the idea hadn't occurred to me earlier. I probably would have rushed it and only made things worse. Apparently these things needed six weeks of aftercare plus antiseptic and a bottle of Red Potion, which I wouldn't have guessed. I mean, it was a hole in my ear, so it really wasn't all that surprising.

The needle entered the cartilage of my lower earlobe, and I was surprised just how little it hurt. Still, it was cold and it was sharp. My ear twitched.

"This was your idea, Fairy Man," Malon reminded me, with no lack of mirth. At least one of us was having a good time.

Before I knew it, it was over. That had been remarkably smooth sailing. And now I had a little red hoop attached to my left ear. Back in the day there were two; I decided to balance out the marks of Katáktisi splashed across the right side of my face. It was just more reasonable that way.

What better opportunity to round out my day than to keep chugging away at my fables? I thanked Malon for her ministrations before retreating to my room. It was the same location that I had been given before I had headed out to Termina, so there was still some of my stuff left over from back then. My old Deku Shield was hanging proudly from the wall, and the Slingshot and Boomerang were collecting dust in a corner. I should probably take the latter with me.

I had managed to plow through the rest of the Deku Tree, even going so far as to work in a quick moral about the importance of telling the truth from the Deku Scrub who had informed me that 'twenty three is number one'. It was weird how I still remembered that. I had also worked in something in a similar vein to Seteth's story of the lazy fox and the industrious squirrel, in the form of Talon and Malon when I first arrived at Castle Town. I had just wrapped up the conversation with Zelda in the castle courtyard, and was now putting Impa onto the page. I once again regretted not taking notes; I had only learned how to in Termina.

'I am Impa of the Sheikah,' I began. 'I am responsible for protecting Princess Zelda. Everything is exactly as the princess foretold.' I took a moment to further highlight the intensity of the white-haired woman, before hesitating. I added a footnote further elaborating on what a Shiekah was, before changing my mind and crossing it out. That would come when I covered the Shadow Temple. If I ever got that far. 'You are a courageous boy… you're heading out on a big, old adventure, aren't you?' I scribbled out 'old' and replaced it with 'new'.

'My role in the princess's dream was to teach a melody to the boy from the forest. This is an ancient song passed down through the Royal Family. I have played it for Princess Zelda as a lullaby ever since she was young… and there is great power in these notes. Now, listen carefully…' In the margins, I scrawled a quick treble clef and wrote down six notes– not the whole song, of course, just enough to convey the basic feeling without conveying its magic. No more Ashe situations for me, please. It would have to do.

I started the ascent towards Death Mountain. I passed through Kakariko Village, pointedly steering clear of the well and keeping my eyes off that windmill at all times. It was a miracle the town was still standing considering the sprawling and rotting complexes tucked beneath it.

"Whoa there, sir!" The guard that had bought the Keaton mask off of me all those lifetimes ago exclaimed as I moved to pass the gate. He wasn't calling me 'Mister Hero' anymore, thank the Goddesses; I don't think I had ever given him Zelda's letter in this timeline, so it stood to reason that he didn't recognize me. "This way leads up to Death Mountain! I'm afraid I can't let you just walk on through! It's an active volcano, after all!"

"I've been up this way before," I stated. "I was merely hoping to reach Goron City. I have personal business with Darunia."

The other Hylian tilted his head. "I think I'd recognize someone as… unique as you, sir. No offense, of course! I'm sure you get that a lot! Wah hah hah!"

"None taken. But I assure you– I do speak the truth. And you will permit me to pass."

"OK, OK, all right. You can go now… just be careful, sir! If you're really going to climb Death Mountain, you should at least equip a quality shield! I don't doubt the efficacy of that there rounded shield you've got, of course– but nothing beats a Hylian kite shield! You can get one at the Bazaar over in Castle Town! Tell 'em I sent you, and they should give you a special discount!"

"My thanks, but that will not be necessary," I nodded once before pressing onward. I ignored the Tektikes as they tried to bite holes in my legs. I didn't really feel like killing them right now. I didn't need their meat for food, as my supplies were pretty alright, and they were easy enough to avoid by just running. No reason to waste my breath.

I veered right at the mouth of Dodongo's Cavern. I wasn't planning on going inside this time, as I had already done everything that needed to be done there. After narrowly avoiding being thrown off a cliff by a daredevil Goron, I entered their city. It was just like I remembered it minus the giant stone chandelier. Or had there ever been a chandelier in Hyrule? Dammit, my Termina memories were bleeding through again. This happened every time.

I picked my way down the stairs into the very bottom. The door to Darunia's chambers was open. The little carpet before it was comfy under my boots. I completely ignored it. My Sworn Brother was inside as usual, poring over what appeared to be trade negotiations over marble. I didn't want to disturb him, so I started inching back into the darkness of the room, out towards the rest of Goron City. I could come back later.

"Oh, no you don't," the Goron Chief rumbled, making me jump despite myself. "Stay right there, Brother. I'm not letting you slip out of my grasp again."

Please tell me he was being figurative and not–

The air in my lungs was suddenly aggressively squeezed out as Darunia wrapped me in a comically tight bear-hug. How did he cross the room so fast on those tiny legs? "Ack! Darunia– ribs– can't… breathe!" I wheezed. Honestly, I was just a little relieved that he either wasn't questioning or somehow hadn't noticed the war paint.

I was unceremoniously dropped from the embrace, barely managing to stay standing. "Impa told me everything. Link… why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know that you remembered too."

He seemed pacified by this reasoning. "Well, it's good to have you back, Brother! And I'm touched that you swung by! Speaking of which, what brought you here?"

I breathed out. I needed to be in a good state of mind for this conversation. "I left before to… go find Navi. My fairy partner. She left after I was sent back. And… I didn't find her. That's its own story, though, and eventually, I stopped looking. And then years later, I found I was in the area and decided it was as good a time as any to swing by, in case my travels don't bring me back."

Darunia's wide grin faltered slightly. "So you're going to be leaving again after you're done here?"

"Well… that was the plan." I admitted. "I have important business in other parts of the world, but… even if I didn't, being in Hyrule hurts. That's not a slight against you," I added hastily upon seeing his expression pull into a pained frown, "but you lived those seven years. You don't have to deal with being ten-seventeen-eleven-fifteen-everything-else-in-between-teen."

"You're a good man. I have a vague sort of understanding– I had a son in the decayed timeline, remember? Being sent back erased all those happy moments for me. Say– remember in the Fire Temple, where I asked you to save my people? I wanted to have a man-to-man talk with you then, but that sure wasn't the time." The Sage of Fire planted a hand on my shoulder, nearly driving me into the ground. "So let's have that little chat right now!

"Link… are you doing okay?"

A chuckle escaped me. "I'm alive, aren't I?"

"There's more to being okay than being alive. 'Sides, we're Sworn Brothers. It's my job to look out for you! I'd want you to do the same for me!"

I formed a fist. "I know, I know. It's just… I'd hate to make you worry."

"Are you–"

"I didn't come here for a lecture. I came to see you… and to say goodbye if this is the last time we speak to each other."

"You don't have to do this–" Darunia started. I appreciated his concern, but it was wholly misplaced.

"Whenever there's a meeting, a parting is sure to follow," I assured, hating myself for quoting that accursed Happy Mask Salesman. My target. "If all goes well, that parting won't last forever." I put my hand atop the chief's, which was still clamped over my shoulder. "Thank you, Brother. For everything."

Darunia sighed. "There's nothing I can do to convince you otherwise, huh?" I shook my head. "Well, I wish you the best of luck wherever you end up, Brother. But can you do me a favor? Take a break for a while before you go off into the unknown again. Think about it– and I mean, really think about it. That's all I ask."

"You say that like that hasn't been what I'm doing."

"Then take a longer one! You deserve it, Brother!"

"A-alright, I will."

"Promise?"

"A Brother's promise."

A grin formed on his face. "My door's always open, Link. Let me know when you come back! I'll give everyone a proper celebration!"

I did not give a verbal response, in favor of merely saluting, as I made to exit the chamber.

"Hang on a second, Link! Come back!"

I paused in the open doorway and turned to face the Goron chief.

"Impa left this last time she was here. That was… what, five, six years ago now? How old does that make you?"

"Fifteen, by my reckoning," I replied with a touch of pride.

"Wow, you're almost as old as you were when you…" Darunia trailed off, knowing that it was a bit of a touchy subject. "Anyways, Impa told us Sages to hang on to this stuff in case you ever paid a visit. That way, you'll have to talk to all of us to put it together."

"Oh right." I had completely forgotten about the armor set, as nice as the pants I currently possessed were. I had been so preoccupied with interacting with my Sworn Brother that I didn't remember that secondary reason for this visit.

Darunia presented a gorgeous chestplate of bronze and red with the visage of a hawk set into the upper torso. The midriff was instead protected with mail in a way that allowed for much greater freedom of movement. I took it from the Goron, appraising it in the firelight. It was a lot lighter than it looked, but I knew just from holding it that it was pound for pound the most effective armor I had ever laid hands on.

"Thank you, Darunia. I'll uphold my promise, wherever I go."

"May the stone be sure under your feet wherever you travel, Brother!" Darunia dismissed with a wide grin on his face.

I did have one other thing to do in Goron City before I left. I stepped into the empty little shop, walking directly up to the elaborately carved divider separating myself from the Goron shopowner. Random question– were Goron chefs called stonemasons, or were Goron stonemasons called chefs? I guess it wasn't very important.

"Good day, brother!" the shopkeep greeted. "Anything I can help you with?"

I eyed the wares. There were a number of bundles of bombs, a Red Potion of two, some Deku Seeds meant for a slingshot, thirty carefully stacked arrows, a blue scarf that seemed strangely familiar, and of course, the Goron Tunic. Excellent.

"I was wondering if that Goron Tunic comes in smaller sizes?" I asked.

A shake of the head was the only response I got. "Sorry, little guy. They don't make these any smaller. Guess you'll just have to grow into it."

"Could I commission one? I can pay for it."

"That's way above my paygrade. You could probably just get the adult one and wear it super loose, if you really wanted to."

That would have to do. "Great, I'll do that. And how much is that scarf?"

"Oh, that old thing? Fifteen Rupees."

"Fantastic, I'll buy both," I said, withdrawing two hundred and fifteen Rupees and sliding them across the table. Garments in hand, I left the store, the new tunic firmly in my pouch right next to the latest addition to my mask collection. It was a blue and gold thing, shaped almost like a butterfly with thin slits to see through. I decided to throw the scarf around my neck first. It would pair great with the new armor.

He's getting the Hero's Shade drip, yoooo

Review please!

jordanlink7856 (FF): Thank you, and a belated Happy New Year to you as well!

teslapinguini (AO3): Don't get it twisted, there's no rest for the wicked, and Link is no exception. I wasn't intending for Seteth's book of fables to become such a crucial plot point but it's not about to stop. I have no problems with this.

Parkourse (AO3): 3

E_Enigma (AO3): I think Anna would try to exploit the economy issue first and foremost the same way Link did in early Cobalt Crescent– if it worked on her, it'll work on others, right? And Hyrule would probably love Fódlan gold if she melts down the coins…

I *promise* Link's various masks will get some spotlight! I've been sitting on a scene with the Don Gero Mask since before I started writing, actually. Thanks for your kind words!

Falconurgando (AO3): I'm glad you've been enjoying it! I'm glad this is speaking to so many people. Regarding Saria, well, I'll give you a RAFO card on that.

:) (AO3): Well, it's not that he can just ignore the Axioms while he's in Hyrule. They're just more limited, harder to hear. If that makes sense. He can delay longer, but he can't just be like, 'no'. Sorry for the confusion!

Aaden (FF): I've responded to this criticism many a time, so see my previous responses scattered throughout the rest of the story.

flameMail (AO3): Or to put more things on his chest! Gotta keep you guessing somehow!

beepboprobotsnot (AO3): Thank you! Mark Whitten is a gem. Completely understand waiting to comment further until you've caught up– you have plenty of time.

quadjot (AO3): Uh, return to sender. I'm running out of room in my warehouse for all these heart emojis.

Mariegrey90 & Naedine-Daki (FF): Great, the scammers are evolving to leave reviews instead of just PMs. As a PSA to anyone who isn't aware: several dozen scammers have been going around FF for a while. They masquerade as artists who can draw art for your stories for a nominal fee, and then they turn around and give AI-generated slop before vanishing with the cash. I made the mistake of actually responding to one of these people once (I had explicitly said in the first message to them that I was not interested in paying them and I guess they're completely illiterate because they tried to ask me about payment immediately afterward), and I guess that put me on their 'this person responds' list, because now I get deluged with even more of them than other writers. I'm going to say this as clearly as possible so even your clueless scammy selves can understand: go away.

Relissi (AO3): Thank you!