Link was staring right at him.

His piercing blue eyes investigated the depths of Bato's soul. Bato stood wide-eyed, shocked by the perceived revelation. He sat back down again, feeling dizzy once more. Sighing quietly to himself, he said, "I suppose you heard everything. Or at least the tail end of that conversation. You probably have feelings about this whole thing. I know you can take care of yourself and would probably want to."

"You saved me." Surprised, Bato turned his head towards Link, who was looking at him now. "Why?"

"So, the kid can talk. Why not?"

"You should have left me," Link said bitterly. "Both times, you risked your life for a kid you never met."

"Well, fortunately, that wasn't your choice to make. I saved you because I wanted to."

"You don't know me. You know, even like me. All this time, you've been pushing me away." He sounded broken and angry. "Why else would you want me 'good as new?'"

Bato shot up. "I didn't…I meant…" He made multiple attempts between complete denial and the truth, but after a few minutes, he stopped. "I…I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Link. I didn't know."

"That's right, you didn't know. No one ever knows anything. No one asks how I feel." Bato felt the pent-up frustration in his voice. "Saria, Zelda, the Sages, the people of Termina…Navi…" He said the fairy's name quietly.

Looking at this, Bato felt terrible and fearful. He had never seen this side of Link in the games and only in works of fan fiction. Link was created to be a player avatar; used to explore the world created. But this was real. It was a young boy who had experienced things that no normal eleven-year-old would ever have. "What are you trying to say, Link?" he asked, softly.

Link's tried to breathe calmly. It worked, somewhat. He laughed, bitterly. "That despite all that I do and what I've done, I'll always be alone." He noticed the tears in Link's eyes again, and he was holding them back.

These were some very intense feelings. Bato felt sick but stayed in his place. "Why are you holding back?"

"H-Huh?"

"Your tears. Your sorrow. Why do you hold them back?"

"I'm not supposed to cry. I'm supposed to be brave. To have courage. This is what is expected of me."

"The door is sealed, and the Master Sword is locked away. There's no immediate danger to the Sacred Realm. You're not beholden to some hero standard or expectation. You were sent back in the hopes of relieving your childhood. So, give leave to these feelings. Not as the hero, but as the boy. The boy that Zelda wished for you to experience."

"Just stop talking!" Link's voice raised to a frightful pitch. His face in twisted anger. "Stop acting as if you know me because you don't!"

"That's right, I don't know you! But I've seen through your eyes. Ancient evils plagued lands and monsters that not even an adult would imagine facing. But you did it through grit and determination! How your actions saved everyone around you! How you brought comfort to even the forsaken and the dead! But most of all, you shared your courage with people who knew nothing but fear. A bastion of light in the coming darkness. That's still you! It doesn't matter if you're no longer an adult, or you don't have a fancy sword! That hero is still here! The same courageous boy that would help to save without a second thought!"

His speech finished; Bato saw an awed expression on Link's face. There was also a look of confusion mixed in with fear. "You may think that I'm pitying you. That's far from it. If you believe that these events built you into the person you are today, you're right in a way. But those experiences were all extraordinary in desperate times. You shouldn't have gone through all of that. No kid should." He got up from his chair and headed towards the door. "The war is over. You won."

His hand was on the door handle when Link spoke again. "Do you know what it's like to live in fear?"

He turned to see Link, gripping his sheets. "What do you mean? You're-"

"I know, right?" He laughed deliriously, which was very concerning. "Bearer of the Triforce of Courage! The Hero of Time! The destined one!" He looked blankly at the wall. "And yet, I'm afraid of my shadow. Every night, when I try to sleep or when I'm alone. I always think that there's a monster in every shadow. In every corner. I was always watching my back. But now, I don't have to do that anymore. The fighting is done. So, why do I feel this way?"

Bato walked towards Link as he began to cry and used his hands to wipe away the tears. "I want it to stop. I want the monsters to go away. I tried everything, but they won't stop! They keep coming, I…" At this point, Link was openly weeping. He sniffled a few times in an attempt to stifle the crying, but to no avail.

Bato felt a lump in his pocket. Taking out the Ocarina, he stared at it. Then, he began to play the 'Song of Healing.' The room was filled with music, otherworldly but soothing at the same time. The people who heard the music outside the room felt relaxed and at peace. As for Link, he stopped crying and looked at Bato's play with fascination. How was he able to play this song? The feelings of hopelessness, fear, and dread melted away and his heartfelt light as a feather.

When he finished, Bato looked at him and smiled. "You used this song to soothe the souls of others. I used this song to soothe your soul. It appears that you needed it." Pocketing the Ocarina, he knelt beside the boy. "I can't imagine the emotions running through you. The horrors you faced and the hurt that you have. But whether you accept, I will be there for you. You've shouldered an unimaginable amount of pain by yourself for a long while. I ask you: let me shoulder this burden with you. Don't do this alone."

There was a small grip around Bato's neck. He felt the wetness of Link's tears on his neck. He shook as he took deep breaths. Hesitant, at first, Bato hugged him tightly.

Over the coming days, Link's recovery was steady. The pain was still there, but the medicines of the time were doing their best in keeping him comfortable. Once again, Link had proven he had a resilient body. The surgeon said that he would make a recovery by the end of the week so he could go home.

Home. Bato had to prepare his house. He commissioned Mutoh's carpenters to create a small bed for Link to sleep in. Moreover, a wardrobe, a small table and a chair. As the carpenters were finishing delivering the furniture to Bato's house one day, he asked casually, "So, do you guys have any other jobs lined up?"

One of the carpenters spoke. "Well, we wanted to see if we could join the Gerudos. Being able to fight there in front of all those women," the others shared his lecherous face. Bato knew where this was going.

"You know it's an all-women's group, right?"

"W-What?"

"Yeah, you go down there, and they'll lock you up and do all sorts of stuff to you. Because you're a man."

The carpenters looked at each other. "Did you hear that from somewhere, or-"

"I mean you guys are free to do whatever you want! All I know is that the moment you set foot in that fortress, you guys are done. But I have heard some advice about relationships when concerning a man and a woman."

The men looked expectantly.

"Do NOT stick your dick in crazy!"

"What if she's worth it?"

"Do NOT stick your dick in crazy!"

"But I could fix her!"

"Do NOT stick your dick in crazy! You've been warned. Do what you will." He signed the scroll as a completed order. The men looked disheartened as they took their wagon and rode off.

He conducted some more experiments; to see if he could create a magical device that would mimic modern conveniences. Using a charging crystal and his ice magic, he created a fridge made of metal, that would keep food good for a while. Taking the milk that was cooled in the ground, he hoped it didn't go sour. With some apple cider vinegar, salt and olive oil, he began the ancient process of cheese making. When finished, it was okay but could use a little more work. His goal was to see if Talon would be interested in making cheese as part of his business venture.

Crops and pelt hunting were coming along nicely. He had begun to stockpile some of his crops; he suspected that he would have to use a lot of them for the kitchen. As half of the produce was going towards the kitchen, hunting became more and more important for him. Taking tips and tricks from other hunters around the area, he became more cautious and was able to hunt down more than just wolfos. Animal parts also fetched some money in the alchemist field, so that was a good start.

At the end of the week, Bato made his way to the Church of the Goddesses. The lady from before ran up to him.

"Are you Mr. Bato?"

Hesitant, he answered, "Yes. Is there a problem?"

"No problem, sir." He then noticed a group of sisters speaking with one another. "We were wondering if it were you who spoke to the commerce guild about building a community kitchen."

Bato was going to get involved eventually so he admitted it. "Yes. I did ask the commerce guild to help fund the project. I also plan to use my crops to help with the food." The small group of girls came closer to him.

"We can't thank you enough!"

"Hyrule's poor have been suffering for years! Our goddesses shine today!"

"May this good work be dedicated to them!"

Bato couldn't fault them on the religious fervour, but it was looking very awkward for him. Suddenly, there was a loud snap on the floor. It was another nun; much older dressed in black and white that denoted her authority. There was that and the big stick that she was carrying. "What do you girls think you're doing? Are you trying to give the church a bad name by acting like this in front of all the worshippers? Scatter and do your tasks, now!"

"Yes, Canoness." The girls bowed and silently departed to different places.

The Canoness approached Bato, sizing him up. "Hmm, so you're the prodigal farmer. Baza's told me all about you. I am Canoness Atia of Our Glorious Ladies convent."

"Bato, ma'am." As he bowed, a sharp tap on her stick froze him up.

"No need to bow. Especially, not to me. I have you to thank for Baza helping with Castle Town's most needy. Not only him but some other merchants and nobles as well. Believe it or not, we were struggling when it came to helping the poor. Our resources could go so far, and priorities had to be taken." She swung her arms open, "and now we are in abundance! The Goddesses have heard our prayers by sending one of their chosen to us."

"Goddess' chosen, I don't think-"

Aita grabbed Bato's hands. "Don't give me that bullshit. One of my sisters from the other day saw you praying. She saw a light glow coming from you. If that's not a sign of divine providence, I don't know what is."

Bato answered firmly. "I'm just a farmer. That's all I ever wish to be."

Aita released his hands and smiled, hands on hips. "Good! A man who knows what he wants. The goddesses expect to do numerous things in our limited lives. Helping our fellow man should not be a question at all."

"Yes, ma'am."

Aita was already walking away. "You have the help of the commerce guild, and now you will have the help of the church! You're going to places, young one, whether you like it or not." The echo of her laugh reverberated the entire hall. Shaking this strange feeling, he made his way to the altar.

Praying at the altar once again, he closed his eyes, expecting to be teleported to the same white void. Instead, what he found was not what he was expecting. It was a garden full of light and green. All the vibrant variations of flowers, trees, and shrubs can be seen here. It smelt like earth, after a good rain. The rushing water coming from the streams and waterfalls made for a good soundtrack, along with the bird songs as backup singers.

In its middle were two white chairs and a small white table. Looking around, Bato knew that these things weren't here coincidentally. Going towards the seat, just as he was about to sit, was Farore standing on the other side. "Bato," she whispered. "I am glad to see that you are well."

"Well enough, my Lady." He gave a solemn bow. "Will it just be you today?"

She nodded. "We wished to converse with you privately. Each of us. When we saw you making your way to the temple, it was a good opportunity not to pass up."

"Really? And how did you decide who would talk first."

"… we drew lots." She sat down and bade him to sit as well. "It's been quite some time since my sisters and I saw you last. You have been making good use of your gifts, I see."

"I have, my Lady. Though, it was a surprise to me, at first. On why, you and your sisters would bless me with these gifts."

"As you well suspect, our intentions were not out of altruism, despite your past. Nor is it because we did it 'out of a whim.' Though, I can imagine why you would have that train of thought." He shifted uncomfortably with that comment. "The other gods and goddesses that we now observed seem to see your kind as an amusement."

"And you goddesses are saying you're above that? Well, it has been a popular plot point in several stories. So, you can't fault me for having that way of thinking."

"No, I can't." She scans the garden briefly before turning her eyes back to him. "The Hyrulians are the same. At least the qualities of humanity they have back in your world; albeit the pointed ears."

"We are mortal. We have strengths. We have weaknesses. We are driven when impassioned and selfish by nature and more. I would imagine all mortal races in your realm would have similar faults."

"Just as they have similar, and vastly different, powers. I am sure that you know them well."

Bato nodded slowly. "I do." The garden did look beautiful. But it did hide a level of unseen danger. Like a rose with thorns. Just because Farore is the Goddess of Life, it doesn't mean she is helpless. "But I suspect that you didn't bring me here just to check up on me."

"No, I did not. I understand that you've taken custody of the hero."

"I have. Despite my reservations."

"Yes, you made that abundantly clear to Hylia when she first mentioned the task to you. I am glad you were amenable to this arrangement. But I would think that you would like to know the reason?"

"That would be nice, yes."

"I will be blunt. The future Zelda's intentions were pure. But they were flawed both fundamentally and practically. She sent the hero to 'live out his childhood.' While she could give him back his time, there was no way he could regain his innocence."

"Because of all the things he saw and did."

"Exactly. Further, when she did send him, she did so with only the clothes on his back. The Kokiri wouldn't accept him back into the fold. He just killed their guardian deity, according to them. To the rest of Hyrule, he was just a little boy in green. His status as a hero was non-existent. Even if Zelda and the others vouched for him, the King wouldn't even entertain this flight of fancy of taking him in."

"So, what? His fate was to wander the lands for seven years, hope he survives somehow, then join the knights or get a job somewhere when he got older?"

Farore shook her head and crossed her arms. "I don't think there as any plans moving forward. I doubt he knew what to do regardless of if he found his fairy in Termina. Whether in or out of Hyrule, he was effectively a nomad. Living off the land and, perhaps, taking side jobs to sustain some sort of living."

Bato's eye began to twitch, and an indignation of anger swelled within. The goddess took notice immediately. But rather than smite him for his insolence, she was sympathetic. "I see that look in your eye. I can say I felt the same when I found him in similar straights within other timelines. I'd advocated to my sisters to help him in some way; a form of recompense for his sacrifices and deeds, but…"

"Even if he got the aid, it would only be one path that would've been affected by a million other timelines." So, they didn't help because they didn't want to. They couldn't help because they couldn't. It wouldn't have mattered.

"But we found a 'what-if' within you. You, who knows the cruelties of man. You, who were betrayed at every turn. No doubt you wanted to avoid that same fate for the hero and that's why, despite your misgivings, you decided to help him."

"Well…you're not wrong." Bato did want to help Link. Farore made the point clear: without anyone in his life, where was he going to go? What was he going to do?

Farore stood up and approached Bato. "I already know the answer to this question. Nevertheless, I still feel bad about putting you on the spot like this. Will you help the young hero? Will you help Link?"

Bato stared at her for a moment. He chuckled, "Oh Goddess, you know." In return, the goddess gave a small bow. "My thanks." The garden began to fade, and everything was growing white. "Time's up already? Pity. Then allow me to share something with you about your blessings that might be interesting. You've been granted the power of life itself. But you cannot create nothing out of nothing. How much you give up will equal to how powerful the magic will be."

"Equivalent exchange," Bato mumbled.

"What?" The room flashed with white light and the garden was gone.

When he was back in the church, Bato was staring right into the eyes of Aita and the other nuns. He gave an exhausted sigh, "what colour was it this time?"

"Green," Aita said matter-of-factly. "Had an interesting conversation with Lady Farore, hmm?"

"What if I did?" He got up and saw that, once again, it was already evening. Other than the small group around him, there was hardly anyone there.

"Hah!" Aita laughed, and the other nuns bowed and left the two alone. "Your revelations from the Goddesses are yours and yours alone. Keep your secrets. As for me, I'm rather content to feign ignorance." She walked away with her stick as Bato watched her with suspicion. As he walked into the night sky, Bato noticed a couple of trees in front of the church. His thoughts returned him to Saria and what happened that dreadful night. He hadn't seen her then and was concerned about her.

"I hope Saria's okay. That would have been a hardcore experience for anyone. I wonder if there's any…way….oh." The same bump in his pocket. He took out the ocarina again. He had forgotten to put it back in the satchel. "I would doubt that she'd like me in her head. So, I'll just go to her. I just hope that I don't regret this." Playing 'Minuet of the Forest', he was enveloped in a green light and flew through the sky.

Bato found himself deep within the Lost Woods. More specifically, the entrance to the forest temple. But, more importantly, he found Saria sitting on a stump. She mumbled to herself; she didn't seem to notice Bato standing there.

As he walked up to her, Saria's mumbles became more audible. "What do I say? 'I'm sorry for putting the both of you in danger, please forgive me.' No. There's no way he would forgive me. Not after all I've done. I gave Link the idea to go to the forest. I could heal him faster than normal. Had the Moblins not attacked…. But they did. And Link got hurt. They hate me; both do." She gave a resigned sigh. "I haven't seen them in days. I should at least see Bato. To see how he's doing. But I can't face him. I'm not ready to face him."

"Your sincerity is comforting." Saria opened her eyes and saw Bato standing there. She almost fell out of her stump.

"Bato! What in Goddess'…. How did you-"

"I'll be happy to explain if you give me a chance. Do you mind?" Bato offered to sit beside Saria, which she accepted. The two of them sat quietly for a while.

"I'm sorry to have to get you involved in all of this. I didn't have anyone else to turn to." Guilt was written all over her face.

"If I would rather not get involved, I wouldn't have. But I've come to care for Link and you, and I wanted to help."

"I see." Silence once again. The place had become darker, but the night sky opened to the stars. The forest temple had a new level of creepy, but neither seemed bothered by it now. "What was that song you played that made you and Link disappear?"

"The 'Prelude of Light', Bato answered. "It's a travel song to the Temple of Time in Hyrule's Castle Town."

"Travel song?"

"By playing it on the ocarina, you would be able to travel to a specific destination, so long as you know the song."

"Is it like the song you used to get here?"

"Yes. That's 'Minuet of the Forest'."

Saria hid her face in the flickering darkness. "Do you think I could use such a song?"

"I don't know. I used this ocarina to get to the Temple of Time." He took out the ocarina. "I think it's special or something."

"I see." A hint of disappointment filled the air. "How do you know these things?" How could he answer that question? He knew because she was from a work of fiction and everything, he knew about the world was laid out in the game. But he could never tell her that. At least, not now. Seeing the look on his face, Saria nodded her head. "It's okay. We all have our secrets, right Bato?"

"I'm sorry." He felt terrible that he had to keep her ignorant of the fact that she was the forest sage. It didn't matter, though.

She would find out eventually. "The spirts smile on each of us. It doesn't matter who you are or what you did. The fact is that they were on our side that day and sent you to help me. I can't thank you enough for saving Link!" She caught Bato in a hug, which he returned after a brief hesitation. "I…I'm truly grateful. And I'm sorry…I'm sorry for putting you through all that."

"What's there to be sorry about? I wanted to be there for a friend. Render any assistance I can. Both to you and to him. That's all it is."

"No, it isn't all it is!" Saria got up and walked away from Bato for a moment. She shook her head. "You and Link almost died! Because I wasn't strong enough. I can't swing a sword or use magic spells like you and Link. All I could do was heal and hope for a miracle." She looked up at the sky, in the direction of the Kokiri Forest. "The forest is getting restless."

"How do you know."

"I just…do." This moment of wonder was snapped when she started to talk in a harsher tone. "But that doesn't matter. The Deku Tree's gone, everyone's scattered. I'm doing all that I can to hold it together, but it's not enough!" Saria's façade of calm was crumbling down. Her eyes started to water, and she started to breathe raggedly. "It'll only be a couple of years before the Lost Woods is a haven to monsters and darkness. Because I wasn't enough."

"Goddess' glow, why doyou and Link think the same way?" Bato went over to her. "I need to do this by myself. I need to be stronger to protect the ones I love. This is how it's supposed to be." He knelt to her. "No one's asking you to be a hero. You can help the forest and the Kokiri in your own way. You have skills and talents unique to you. You sound like the forest will be no more in a couple of years. Don't think that. The forest is and will always be your home. Do not consider it to beanything else because of what happened. Think about what you're going to do."

She nodded, wiping away some tears. "Thank you, Bato. I think I needed to hear that."

Bato stood tall. "If you ever need any help, just let me know. I will come if I am able."

Saria guided him through the woods and near his farm. She smiled at him as they both took a seat on the bench. The night winds were cool, and the lanterns were lit. There were hardly any other light sources besides the ones on the main road and the lamps exclusively on his property.

He tapped her on the hand, got up and started to walk down towards the farm. He stopped for a moment. "Come in for a spot of tea next time, Saria. We would love to have you."

She smiled sadly at him, nodded and faded back to the forest.