SIDE NOTE: This has NOTHING to do with the plot at all. The Link, Ganon and Zelda mentioned here are entirely different from the ones mentioned earlier on. Maybe you'll figure it out.

Dark winds blew across the lands, sending chills through the people that lived there

Dark winds blew across the lands, sending chills through the people that lived there. The shadows grew as the night came onwards through the sunset. They boiled and formed large monsters. Innocent people that lived in small villages across the land were destroyed, torn limb from limb, and eaten. Screams filled the night air, as they always had. Fires flickered as the foul beasts trampled the ground and make the ground quiver.

A group of three people stood on a hill, overlooking one of the villages. The one in the middle stood in front of the other two, a large double helix blade with extremely sharp edges rested on his shoulder. Motes of purple and blue energy floated up from it. His pupil-less white eyes gleamed in the twilight.

“Link,” the man on the left of the one in the middle said. He too had the same pupil-less white eyes and the red and blue face paint. His hair was white. The man in the middle looked back at him and pushed bangs that were as white as pure snow out of his face.

“What is it, Ganon?” The one called Link asked.

“I wonder, what do you want to do about them?”

“They’ve been like this since they first existed. No matter how many that we destroy, they always return.”

“Yes, but there is no sense in not trying to save the citizens of these lands.” The one on Link’s right said. She had the same white hair and eyes and face paint as the other two. While the two men had swords, a large black bow was strapped onto her back. “We were sworn to protect the denizens of the Golden Lands. That is our duty.”

“I’m well aware,” Link grumbled to her. “The only way to truly save them is to kill them, that way there would be no Caliginai to run rampant every twilight. But we can’t do that.” He walked down the hill shaking his head. “Zelda, Ganon, let’s get rid of the larger ones in the area.”

“Alright.” Ganon said as he pounded his fists together with a smile. “They don’t stand a chance.” He too descended from the hill and walked more towards the left so as to have a different angle of approach on the caliginous creatures.

“Very well, Link.” Zelda responded. She pulled the bow off of her back and walked towards the right. “With our combined strengths we should be able to save many of the villagers.” The group of three descended from the hill and set off to their work.

-

“So, Link,” Ganon said as he waked up to the tall white-haired man over a year later. “Didja hear?” He sat down in a chair.

Link nodded, his large blade rested on the wall that he was leaning upon with crossed arms. “Zelda informed me first, Ganon. The goddesses have agreed to seal away the Caliginai into the Nebulous, the realm they inhabit in the daylight.”

Ganon punched his right his into his left palm. “That’s exactly what she said. So then all we’re going to have to do take care of their pets.”

“Caliginai have strong pets, that should occupy us for a while.” Link responded.

“And then what?”

“And then what, what?” Link inquired.

“What then? Our job so far has been to keep the Caliginai under control. What do we when they’re gone and so are their pets? We’ll be around for a while.”

“Our duty to the goddesses is to protect the other citizens of the Golden Lands. Now that they are becoming civilized in nature again, I’m sure that we’ll be needed to keep them from feuding over land and destroying themselves, as the first of the Hylians did. What do you desire to do, however?”

Ganon shrugged and leaned backwards. “As long as I have my strength and I’m the second strongest in the Golden Lands next to the big Hero, I’m good.”

Link scoffed, “Anything else?”

“Hey, we’re always going to be in control of things, so I don’t care. All I need is something to do to keep myself from getting bored.”

Link nodded and bowed his head with eyes closed. While standing with his arms crossed he drifted into an uneasy sleep, dreams pestered by the evil winds that the Caliginai stirred up.

-

Link walked into a room filled with over a hundred people. They all had white hair and pupil-less white eyes. Their faces had red and blue paint in different designs. On his right was Zelda and his left was Ganon.

“Now that the Caliginai have been sealed away into the Nebulous by the goddesses, only their pets remain. It’s been a year and we’ve taken out a lot, but I recently learned where the rest of those shadow beasts are with Zelda’s wisdom. Ganon will be taking care of the one plaguing the northern dessert. Zelda will destroy the one in the absolute north. I will take the one in the eastern forest. Those are the strongest, but there are more to deal with. As for the rest of you,” and he proceeded to give out the orders to the multitude of others.

-

It was dusk when he arrived in the eastern forest. Forest sprites, whose forms were chosen by their own will, inhabited these woods. They recklessly ran through the trees, unaware of the dangers that surrounded them. Their guardian, an ancient tree blessed by Faeore, created a barrier that kept dangers out of the deepest part of the woods. People lived in small settlements around the forest’s edge, but they were not given the same protection as the forest sprites.

He hefted his sword in both of his hands and carefully walked through the woods. This was the time that those beasts came into existence to run amok and destroy things. He carefully listened to his surroundings, trying to pick out the noises of a shadow beast.

After several minutes he came upon it. The shadow beast was twice his height. It stood on two legs and was hunched over. It was large and had enormous muscles. Three horns curved back from its head. The creature was holding a person in its grasp. Link quickly lashed out with his sword. He surrounded it with light energy. It cut through the beast. The woman landed on the ground with a screech.

She looked up at Link. One glance at his stern face and she screamed again. She ran to the line of trees. Link sighed and began to let go of the hilt of his sword with one hand, then he noticed that the form of the beast was imploding and forming a more human figure.

“Umbra!” He snarled as he recognized the figure. Before him stood his mirror. Red eyes gleamed maliciously back at him through silver bangs. His face had no paint and he was adorned in black clothing. He formed a twisted sword with a wickedly sharp edge from the nearby shadows.

“Yes, Link.” He said calmly and innocently. The two began to circle.

“You! How are you here? Your kind was banished from these lands by the goddesses.” Link said in a low growl.

“Simple. I merely outwitted your precious goddesses, Link. I destroyed my pet, possessed its body and took control of it completely. Your attack bLink through my disguise. Oh well. Now I can screw those Hylian women around a lot easier.”

Link narrowed his eyes at the shadowy figure. He lunged at Umbra with his sword. The shadow parried the strike leaned back to kick Link in the chest. Link leapt backwards with the kick to take as little damage as possible. He landed on the ground and lashed out with a magical strike. Umbra swiftly countered with a wave of his own dark energy.

Their battle waged on for hours. It lasted through the entire night. It was near daybreak when it seemed to be coming to an end. Link had several injuries, many of which had healed throughout the course of the fight. Others were deep and severe, but not life threatening. He had deflected all lethal blows to be less serious. Link and Umbra jumped apart after blocking their opponent’s strike with one of their own. Link panted as Umbra absorbed the energy in the shadows to restore his strength.

“Did any of the other Caliginai do what you did, Umbra?”

“Curious how many of your people that you fated to death by their own mirror?” Umbra inquired with a sadistic smile. “Two. Xeilia and Keir. Odd story, you sent Zelda and Ganon to go fight them.” He grinned, showing his sharp teeth, “Don’t you just love fate?”

“Yes, I do, Umbra.” Link replied coldly as he stood straight to go on the offensive once again.

“I wouldn’t. Sometimes I think that it designs itself to kill you, Link.” He said in almost genuine concern. “But I guess that doesn’t matter to a big shot like yourself. Big Hero of the goddesses. Leader of the people blessed by the goddesses as guardians. I suppose it doesn’t matter that every other being in the Golden Lands thinks that you’re the antithesis of the goddesses, and as dark gods you must be destroyed.”

Link merely continued to glower. He did not rise to Umbra’s taunt and instead focused most of his energy on one last attack. In the blink of an eye, Link was on the other side of Umbra, sword glowing a brilliant white. His shadow dissipated into a puff of smoke and a yell of intense hatred.

“Enjoy the Nebulous, Umbra.” He said caustically and went over to a tree. He sat down with his back against the trunk for support. The long battle had drained his strength. It would be sometime until he could use a magic technique to heal his injuries. He placed his sword on the ground to his left.

The sun began to rise over the horizon in the distance. Link sighed and thought to fall asleep. There was a noise nearby on his right and he looked up sharply, wondering if it was a beast that needed to be destroyed. The young woman that Umbra had been holding from before froze under his glare. She pressed her body into the tree she had hidden behind and quivered.

His face softened into a calm, but serious look. He smiled encouragingly and held out his hand, trying to display the idea that he would not harm her. She seemed to be relieved by this a little and cautiously stepped towards him. When she was close enough, she tentatively reached out her hand and clasped her fingers around his palm. His hand was half again the size of hers. Link looked at her inquisitively. With his face paint, he looked angry. She immediately jumped backwards and held her hand close to her body, hiding it with her other hand.

Link shook his head and continued to hold his hand out to her. After a little while, she again reached her hand and clasped it around his. He mimicked her motion, closing his fingers around her hand and seemed to envelope it. After a moment she moved her arm up and down a few times, he let the motion carry into his own arm. Then she let go. He followed suit. She stood there, looking down at him. Her blue eyes were wide with fright.

Link smiled at her, to try and allay her fears. She was startled and jumped at the expression. He shook his head at her and looked at the larger injuries that he had sustained in the battle. They were still bleeding and show no signs of stopping. He pursed his lips, that was not good. Blessings of the goddesses or no, he could still die.

The woman knelt down softly on the ground. Link looked at her. She jumped backwards at the quick motion and caught her breath. He sighed and focused his attention back to his wounds. He leaned forward, grimacing at the pain caused by a slice in his side, and tried to undo the leather holding his chest armor to his body. In his battle weary and bleeding state, his fingers fumbled with the clasps that were designed to keep it from falling off.

The woman leaned forward and touched his hands. He looked up at her inquiringly.

“Let me.” She said quietly to him. Her language was different then the one he spoke, but he still understood what she said.

He nodded his head and she quickly undid the complicated leather cords. Link then lifted the armor off of his body and over his head. Sweat and blood made the ice blue tunic he wore underneath cling to the leather padding on the inside of the armor. He placed it on the ground and grabbed a wound on his right bicep that had begun to act up as he lifted the twenty-five pound metal plating.

After a moment he removed his belt and fished out a small patch of healing herbs and an assortment of cloth strips from one of the pouches. He pulled the icy blue tunic off and under that was a skintight black shirt that was laced in the back. Then he removed the leather and metal gauntlets that protected his forearms.

Exhaustion was eating at his consciousness as he tried to reach back to undo the lacing. He found himself unable to pull out the knot at the base of his neck as he usually did with ease. Once more the woman leaned forward and stilled his fumbling hands. He looked up at her again.

“Let me.” She said.

He nodded and bent forward a little more, allowing her to take out the knot and undo some of the lacing. Then he raised his hand to stop her. She sat back on her heels and watched him. Link pulled his arms out of the sleeves and pulled the front off of his body. His chest and the shirt were slick with blood. He sighed and used some of the clothes that he had pulled out to clean the blood off of his skin. Then he smeared the herbs over the open wounds, wincing at the stinging pain, and tied some pieces of cloth over them.

At that moment, exhaustion fully struck him. Link shook his head, trying to stay awake long enough to put his shirt, tunic and armor back on. He managed to get the back of his shirt laced up and knotted with her help again. Then he put his tunic back on. As he leaned over to pick up his armor, his body gave way to his weariness. Link was asleep before he hit the ground.

-

Link became alert several hours later. He looked up at the sky and sat up. He blinked several times in quick succession. He remembered that he had not passed out in this position. He felt something warm blow across the back of his hand. Link looked down and saw the woman that had helped him lying asleep on the ground. Her mouth was near his hand; her exhaling is what he had felt.

He wondered if she had moved him before falling asleep herself. He realized that she must have been up the entire night as well, watching his battle with Umbra. He placed a hand on her head and stroked her hair. Link then looked around, spotted his chest armor, and put it back on. He redid the clasps and then loosened them so that they weren’t putting unnecessary pressure on his injuries. Link then found his gauntlets and put them back on as well.

Link looked back down at the woman and saw that she was beginning to stir. He stood up and grabbed his sword. The woman sat up, looked around and spotted him. He stuck his sword in the ground. The woman got to her feet and looked at his face.

“You saved me?” She asked, as though trying to figure out that he had really done so.

He nodded.

“Why did you do that? I thought your kind…” she trailed off.

Link remained silent. He was trying to figure out a way that he could tell her his reasoning without saying a word. She stared at him.

“Why don’t you say anything?” She asked. “Do you really have foul intentions?”

Link sighed as she continued to stare at him with some measure of fear. “I’m afraid that I don’t speak words that you would understand.” He said in his language, which had a stronger and fiercer sound then that of the Hylians. She jumped at the words and understanding shone in her eyes.

“You don’t speak the same language as me, do you?”

He nodded his head.

“But you understand me?”

He nodded again.

“Oh. Then I’ll ask you yes or no questions. You saved me. Was that an act of kindness?” He nodded. “And that being you fought. You killed him to protect me?” Link thought for a moment and then nodded. Had he left Umbra be, this woman might have been his first victim. “Are you going to leave?”

Link paused. He looked down at where he had been injured. They were sore and he still did not have the mental strength to completely heal them. He shook his head.

“Do you need anything for your injuries?” He shook his head again. She smiled at him. “Alright. I need to go. My family is probably worrying about me right now. Is that alright?” He nodded. She turned and left.

Link sat against the tree he had been leaning against that morning and looked at the sky. It was halfway through the day already. He sighed and wondered how the others of his kind were doing.

Hours later, near twilight, he looked up at a noise from the forest. He saw the woman come out of the bushes, carrying a tray of food. At the sight of the food, he realized how hungry he was. He furrowed his eyebrows, his kind never suffered from hunger pains, and they barely ever needed to eat. He sighed, he must really have used all of his strength fighting Umbra to be as famished as he was.

She knelt down and offered the tray to him. He quirked an eyebrow at the motion.

“I realize that you must not have eaten anything in almost a day now. You must really be hungry. I thought you could use this. It’s the least I can do to repay you.” She told him. Link sighed and took the tray from her. He started eating and looked at her. She was watching him. He tore apart the bread she had brought to him and held one piece out to her. She hesitated before taking it and quietly chewing on it.

When he had finished his meal he looked at her and bowed his head to her.

“You’re welcome. My name is Leith. What’s yours?”

He paused and said, “Link.” It was slow a careful, so that she would understand it.

“I see. Roke, huh? That’s a good name.”

He shrugged. It was the goddess’s name for him. He had never thought about how “good” it was.

-

The wounds he had healed slowly. His strength returned at a snail’s pace. After a fortnight at the forest, Link felt spry enough to try a healing technique on the injuries Umbra had left him with.

Link took off his armor, tunic and pulled the shirt down. He untied the wrappings he had put around the worst wound three mornings ago and found that it was as rancid and unwilling to heal as it had been since receiving the stab wound. The other injuries were the same.

“Nayru, I ask that you grant me strength,” he said and held his hand out over the largest and deepest of the wounds. A pale blue light shone from his fingers and sparked between the gaps of his fingers like electricity. They grew in number rapidly. When the hum of electric sparking had become like the sound of a swarm of bees, Link placed his hand against the wound. A yellow discoloration, which had come from infection of the wound, dissipated, leaving a red color on the inside of the wound. As the blue electricity poured into the injury, it began to heal lackadaisically.

His strength waned and he had to pull his hand away as the wound looked like no more then a mere scrape, though it still retained the shape it had been given when he had been run through by Umbra. Link panted in exhaustion as he replaced his clothing. It was three quarters through the day.

He stood up unsteadily on his feet and lifted up his sword. Energy floated up from it in sparks of light no bigger than a star in the sky as he held it in his grasp. Link swung his sword, trying to keep his body in shape.

It was several hours later that he heard the screech of a woman cut through the twilight air. He rushed into the woods, the place that the scream had originated from. Link wondered if the Caliginai had somehow broke out, or if one of their pets had evaded Zelda’s foresight. He broke through a large bush and onto a path in the forest. He saw Leith pressed backwards against a tree. She was being trapped to the tree by several Stalfos.

Link groaned at the enemies and swung his sword. When the giant blade connected with the Stalfos, it immediately shattered and dropped into a pile of bones. He got in front of Leith and destroyed the remaining four Stalfos. As the last was killed by a single strike from his sword, all of the bones erupted into purple flames as they were taken from existence.

Link collapsed to a knee and dropped his sword once Leith was safe. He grabbed his left arm, the one he used for most of his swinging force, and grimaced in agony. He felt his blood seep through his tunic’s sleeve. Link’s eyes widened, he hadn’t taken any hits in that small skirmish. He grimaced at the thought but he started to remove his armor again.

He found, to his dismay, that all the wounds that had been coerced to stop bleeding from his fight with Umbra weeks ago had broken open, save for the one that he had healed earlier. His eyebrows furrowed and he sought out his healing herbs, and found that he had used the last of them up several days ago when he had changed the bandages again. He groaned, he didn’t have the mental strength to heal each of the injuries. Link tried to get to his feet, but found that his legs seemed to be made of sand as they gave under his weight. Link frowned, if he couldn’t stand he couldn’t gather more herbs to place on the injuries to get them to close up.

Leith placed a hand on his right shoulder. Link looked up at her.

“Let me.” She told him as she sat back on her heels. He raised an eyebrow quizzically, wondering what it was that she expected to do. She reached into a burlap sack that she had been holding and pulled out a flute. It was wrought from pure gold, accented in bronze, and the mouth seemed to be made of the truest silver.

Link’s eyes widened as he gazed upon the instrument. She bent down near him and began to play a melody. He relaxed as the song continued in length and eventually found himself nodding off to sleep. He opened his eyes in a snap and shook his head. After four minutes, she stopped and put the flute on her lap. She cried out in dismay.

Link raised an eyebrow and looked down at his torso and arms. The wounds had become thin scars that trailed over his body. He looked back up at her.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that, usually, there’s no trace of any wound halfway through the song.”

He placed a hand firmly on her shoulder and smiled at her, trying to indicate that it was alright. All of the scars that he had had before had disappeared. He didn’t mind scarring, and he was surprised at how well Nayru’s Guidance worked in the hands of a Hylian. He had expected the wounds he had gathered in the fight with Umbra to drag out in their healing. Umbra had a sword of pure darkness, it was able to slice through any enchantment, even ones cast by Nayru’s crystal, called Nayru’s Love. Wounds created by it festered, infected, and usually caused death. After any of his battles with Umbra, Zelda had been there to heal his wounds, she had powerful magical abilities bestowed upon her by Nayru.

She smiled at him as well after a moment. She held the flute to her and looked at the ground.

“You saved me, again. And I can’t even fully heal the injuries you received from the first time. And that’s the only helpful thing I can do.”

Link shook his head at her and leaned back, forgetting for a moment to put his armor back on. He looked over at Leith again and regarded her. She had come everyday to visit him. She had brought food with her each visit, which he was always hungry for.

She looked up at him suddenly. “Oh dear. I forgot to bring you food. I as so worked up, sneaking my flute out of the house so no one would ask what I was doing with it that I forgot to prepare a meal for you. I’m so sorry. I’ll go get that now.” She said as she put the flute back into the burlap, twisted it, and began to stuff it into a small wrap about her waist. Link held up a hand to stop her. He was starving, but he didn’t want her to go to too much trouble for him.

“What, what is it? Do you…want something else?”

He shook his head.

“You can’t tell me you don’t want to eat. You act like you’re starving to death everyday.”

He shook his head again.

“Wait…” She said as she looked at him. “Do you have any friends with others like you?”

He nodded his head. Link wondered why she thought that he wouldn’t have friends.

“Have you seen them at all since you rescued me?”

He shook his head again.

“Oh. Then maybe you want me to stay? You’ve been alone for the past two weeks then and I’ve only come to bring you food and then I leave after a while longer. I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking that you might want me to keep you company. Maybe if I did that then I could repay you for what you’ve done for me.”

Link laughed. He had never really laughed before, but he broke out into hysterical laughter. Her concern for him was perplexing. All he had done was save her twice. Most Hylians scorned him, even if he had blatantly saved their lives from Umbra or other Caliginai. She also acted as though it were an act that had put her in his debt. As if his duty for the goddesses made Hylians need to repay him.

He stopped laughing after a little while and nodded his head. He would like some company. Throughout his entire existence, he had never been without Zelda, Ganon, or one of the others. He had never been on missions by himself for more then a few hours. Being two weeks without their presence had formed uneasiness in him.

She smiled at the booming laughter and blatantly yawned. He looked at her. She rested her head against his bare shoulders and then he realized that he had forgotten to put his clothing back on. He gently tried to push her off so her could get his shirt and tunic covering his bared chest, but she resisted his attempt. He sighed and let her stay where she was, thinking to move her once she fell asleep.

-

Link stayed several days after that. Even with his injuries healed, Umbra’s sword had drained his body of the strength he needed to cross long distances. He had become tired after walking only ten yards. He was unable to return to the main shrine of his people far to the south in his condition. With each passing day, he grew stronger and he grew continually concerned about how they fared without him. He was worried about Zelda and Ganon, and if they had fared similarly against their Caliginai. Leith stayed with him for several hours each day.

After the fourth day of this Leith ran to him at twilight. There were tears in her eyes. He looked down at her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Roke…I’m…so sorry.” She said as her entire body shook. He tilted his head to the side, he had learned what motions meant what to Hylians since he had been forced to stay here due to his injuries.

“I…one of the villagers…he saw you this morning…” Link furrowed his eyebrows, he had heard rustling in the brush near him. But by the time he had looked over and grabbed his sword, there was nothing to be seen. He shrugged it off, many Hylians had seen him over the years, it wasn’t as though he were a secret.

“You don’t understand, Roke!” She exclaimed upon the motion. “There’s been a motion everywhere lately. We just received news of it recently…but…all over the Golden Lands…people are feeling that your kind are the antithesis of the Golden Goddesses. They think that you’re a tyrannical race of beings that needs to be overthrown.” She paused as Link tensed in anger. Umbra had been right, he had disregarded the remark as it was his mirror saying that, but he could not disbelieve her. She gasped in pain as he was subconsciously crushing her shoulder. He let go and stepped back with an apologetic look on his face.

She rubbed her shoulder with a grimace on her face. “That’s probably why. You look frightening, even though you’re trying to apologize without saying anything. Your language is frightening due to its intensity. I understand your desire not to speak. And your kind is overwhelmingly strong.” She stepped up to him and put her hands on his chest armor.

“I came here to warn you. Since your kind is so strong…they decided that they can’t do anything to you right now. They decided to move out tomorrow afternoon after they get some men from the nearby village. You…you need to leave…tonight…now. Right now. You need to get away from here.” The tears started to pour down her cheeks. Link shook his head.

“Why not? Why can’t you just go?”

He shook his head again. Even if he left right now, he would not be able to get far. She closed her eyes as she began to sob. He held her and knelt on the ground as her legs gave out in her sorrow.

They stayed in that position on the ground for hours. Link held her to him even into the night after she had quelled her tears. She rested her head on his chest armor and tried to calm her fears.

After the sun had long since gone down, Link let go of Leith. She pulled away and looked up at him.

“You’re sure that you won’t go?”

He nodded. He couldn’t leave. She seemed to wither at his resolve. She reached up and put her hands on his shoulders. She pulled herself upwards and pressed her mouth against his. He jumped backwards, but did not push her away. He held her body close to his.

After a moment passed she pulled back and looked at him sorrowfully. “Please. I can’t stand the idea of you dying, not after you…you’ve disproven everything that I believed about your kind. Please, why won’t you go?”

Link sighed and shook his head. Trying to leave was pointless, they would find and kill him regardless of his staying or running away. And he would not run like a coward.

She looked in shame at the ground. With his night vision, Link saw red coloration coming to her face. She looked up at him. “Then, could I have one last selfish request of you?”

He nodded.

“If it were possible…I’d like to bear your child so that your memory could live on…for as strange as it might sound, I feel that I love you.”

Link nodded. He too had felt a strange attachment to this woman since he had met her nearly three weeks ago.

-

The next morning Link woke to strange noises in the bushes. He got up and grabbed his sword, which had been lying several feet distant from him. He glanced back at Leith and pressed into the woods. He came to the edge and was greeted by several of his men. He smiled as he spotted them.

“I’m certain that this is the area Zelda specified.” One of them, Fyfe, was saying.

“Yes, this is the place. I wonder where he is,” Another, Mona, responded.

Link straightened and strode out of the woods. The three that were there looked upon him. They stopped and looked at him. When he was near the group of three he stuck his sword in the ground and leaned upon it.

“Link!” The third, Gael, exclaimed. “We just arrived in search of you.”

“Took long enough.” Link replied dryly. “How are Ganon and Zelda?”

Fyfe jumped at the opportunity to explain, “They’re at the Shrine, Link. We found them a little worse for wear. We heard that the shadow beasts were actually-”

Link cut him off, “Caliginai in disguise. Yes. I’m already aware. I had to dispatch Umbra to the Nebulous. How were they?”

“Zelda was perfectly healed. It appeared that she was able to find Lei’s Ocarina in the care of a Hylian man where she was and played a song to heal herself. Ganon was severely injured in his battle, but we found him in the care of a Gerudo woman. We took Ganon back to the Shrine and he is now under Zelda’s care.”

“Very good. I’m glad to hear that. How fare the others?”

“We are all gathered at the Shrine in complete number. However, we are waiting for you, Link. Why have to stayed for so long after your battle?”

“Umbra’s Blade of Pestilence. The wounds drained my strength. I have only recently recovered.”

There was motion from the woods. The other Oni drew their swords quickly as they glowered at the source of the noise. Link looked backwards and saw that Leith was pressed against the side of a tree. He reached over from where he was leaning and knocked down the nearest sword.

“Put your weapons down.” He commanded the other two. “Do you seriously fear a Hylian woman that much?”

Mona and Gael put their weapons away. “Link, perhaps you are unaware, but the Hylians are-” Fyfe began.

Until Link interrupted him again, “Planning to overthrow us because they believe we are the antithesis of the goddesses.” He waved towards Leith, gesturing her to come forward. “This is Leith. When I found Umbra, he was up to his usual tricks. She has Nayru’s Guidance, and she’s the only reason Umbra’s attacks have not been the end of me.”

They nodded. When Leith stood next to Link she held her hand out towards Fyfe. Fyfe shifted on his feet as he looked down at her.

“Even if she didn’t come in peace, there would be nothing that she could do.”

“No, Fyfe. It’s a Hylian tradition upon meeting, but it’s the same thing, I guess. You shake her hand.” In his culture, holding out a bare, or weaponless, hand was a sign of peace. Fyfe grabbed her wrist and shook her hand back and forth. Leith looked in alarm at the Oni. Link chuckled. The others regarded him strangely. He had never more then scoffed around them. “No, Fyfe. Just hold out your hand and let her show you.”

Fyfe did as Link told him too. She clasped her fingers around his hand, and Fyfe reflexively did the same. She shook her arm up and down, Fyfe eventually allowed the motion to carry through. When she let go and held her hand towards Mona, the Oni quickly grabbed her hand. Then Leith shook hands with Gael.

Leith looked up at Link and gestured at the other Oni. “They’re here to make sure you leave before the townsmen come?”

Link looked over at Fyfe. “Well, can you guys do a transporter spell? I’m still not recovered enough from my fight with Umbra for that. Only reason I haven’t left yet.”

“Was he truly that formidable, Link?”

“It lasted the whole night before I could dispatch him. The after effects of his sword strikes still linger.”

“Then yes. We are here to assist you in leaving.”

“Good.” He looked down at Leith and nodded. She smiled.

“Alright,” she said in Hylian. “Then I’ll head back to the village now before they leave so that they don’t suspect me of anything.”

Link nodded. Leith turned to leave and gasped in horror. A middle-aged Hylian man walked forwards of a large crowd of armed Hylian men.

“Leith. I figured you were up to something, running away into the forest where that dark god was after the town meeting. I didn’t suspect that you were trying to help get us all killed though.”

“That’s not!” She began indignantly. She fished around for words in her rage and could only exclaim, “You’re wrong!”

“Of course you think that. They’ve probably put some sort of enchanting spell on you or something.”

“No! You’re wrong! He hasn’t done anything of the sort!”

Gael looked over at Link. “What should we do, Link? We could easily take them.”

“No.” Link said. “We are not to harm the Hylians. We will return to the Shrine and remain there for a long time, until they think tat we’ve vanished from the Golden Lands.”

“Right.” The three said.

Leith ran over to Link and grabbed his arm. “Please. If you’re going to leave, leave now,” she begged.

“Leith, what are you doing?” the middle-aged man asked.

Link looked over at Fyfe and muttered. “Think you can transport the girl to the Shrine, too? This won’t end well for her.”

“Of course, but that’s against all the-”

“I make the rules, remember?” He said as he freed his arm and waved her in between the center of them. She moved obligingly. He turned and leaned backwards against his sword. “Just do it, alright? Our duty is to protect the Hylians, no matter the cost.”

“At once.” Fyfe said. The four Oni and Leith disappeared in a flash of white light.

They reappeared in a Shrine that appeared to be made of white marble. They were in a moderately sized room with four pillars around it and there were several chairs. Ganon sat in one of the chairs and kneeling next to him was Zelda. She had a look of concentration on her face as she was forcing healing energies into his wounds. She glanced up and looked over at Link.

“Link.” She said as she finished with Ganon’s injury. “You’re alive. Good to see you back.” Zelda walked over to Link and then saw the Hylian woman.

“Fyfe, Gael, Mona, leave now.” Link commanded. The three others nodded and swept out of the room.

“You brought a Hylian with you, Link?” She asked quietly when they were gone.

He nodded. “I thought that she would be killed because she was helping me, and that’s against our duties to just have let her die like that.” He peered intently at her, wanting her to understand.

She nodded. “That is correct. But I doubt that she would be able to stay here,” she held up her hand to Link, “because of our why of life. She would be literally unable to survive with us.”

Link nodded. “I thought of that, but I wasn’t sure what else to do.”

Zelda put a finger to her chin. “I know.” She said after a while. “I shall bring her to the northern part of the Golden Lands. There is a Hylian there that is familiar with me. I would be able to communicate a need for him to watch over her. What is her name?”

“Leith.” He said. The Hylian woman looked up at Link. Zelda moved over to her.

“Leith,” Zelda said while holding a hand out to her and beckoned with her fingers. Leith looked up at Link and he nodded. She took Zelda’s hand and then the Oni woman used a transportation spell.

Once the last dregs of Zelda and Leith had vanished, Link collapsed to his knees, face exploding in livid agony.

“Link?” Ganon asked as he slowly got out of the elongated chair he was seated in. He went over to Link and bent down near him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s nothing, Ganon. Honestly.”

“Yeah right, Link.” He hissed. “The Big Hero of the Goddesses doesn’t just collapse in pain for ‘nothing’. I’m not that dumb. The only one you’d be fooling with that is yourself.”

Link offered a weak chuckle. “Then let me continue to do so, Ganon.”

“What happened?”

“Umbra.” Link managed to sound out in a strangled voice. His wounds were beginning to open again.

“I know you fought him, but how could he have done this?”

“He connected several good hits…” Link stopped suddenly and bent his head to his raised knee. Sweat trailed down his body. He suddenly fell to the ground and gasped out, “Later on in the fight, near dawn.”

Ganon snarled. “His Blade of Pestilence. With one solid hit, it’s said to create a wound that can never be healed and it will always drain the victim’s strength, it creates a festering wound that causes a slow and painful demise. And he got you several times with that thing?”

Link barely managed a nod. Ganon picked Link up and laid him down on the seat he had been occupying. He kicked one of its feet after standing over Link for a moment.

“Hey. Don’t go dying on me. I need to become stronger then you, and I can’t do that if you’re dead.”

Link chuckled. At that moment Zelda returned. She spotted Link and ran over to him.

“Link, what is it?”

“His battle with Umbra dragged on so long that he was weakened to the point that Umbra hit him several times with the Blade of Pestilence.”

Zelda gasped and immediately removed his chest armor, tunic and shirt. She used a healing magic on it and smeared some special medicinal herbs onto his wounds.

-

Several months later Link sat in a room in the Shrine of his people. He was seated on the ground, resting against a wall. His sword lay on the ground nearby. Link watched a pedestal in the center of the circular room. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the door to the room open as the pedestal glowed with a brilliant light. He grabbed his sword and stood up, resting the point between cracks in the stone floor. He leaned on it, using it to stand while drawing steadying breaths.

Zelda appeared at the top of the pedestal as Ganon closed the door behind him. All three had morose and drawn faces.

“What did you see?” He asked the two that had just entered. Zelda jumped lightly down from the pedestal and joined Ganon in standing just a few feet in front of him.

“In the Northern Lands the Hylians have formed a bond with the Sheikah. I found Fyfe there. With the help of the Sheikah, they had found where that group was, attacked, and over whelmed them.”

“Where is Fyfe now?”

“He is dead. No magic could save him from the magical attacks that were used against him.”

He sighed deeply. He had sent the greater portion of his people to the Tower of the Goddesses deep in the center of the Golden Lands. It was large and rose hundreds of feet above the ground. He had felt that by sending them there and ordering them to stay high in the air they would escape the roving eyes of the inhabitants of the Golden Lands easier then remaining here in the Shrine. They had missed their biweekly check in, so he had sent Zelda to see what had happened.

“It was devoid of life?”

“Yes. There was nothing living within the Tower.”

Link looked over at Ganon’s pain laden and angry face. “And you?” He asked.

“I searched the Western Gate. I was told by Mona that the Gerudo and some powerful witches had attacked them.”

“And where is she?”

“Dead.” He said simply and spitefully.

Link rested his head against the hilt of his sword. He closed his eyes and swore heavily. The Western Gate was a simple structure capable of holding fifty of his kind. The ones that had not gone to the Tower of the Goddesses had been directed to stay in the Western Gate. It was the bridge between the Golden Lands and the rest of the world. His people were bound to protect it beyond everything else. Nothing from the outside was supposed to enter the Golden Lands, for doing so would usher in destruction on a widespread scale. But now that Gate was unguarded.

“Link, do not worry about what happened to the others. You could not have predicted what occurred.” Zelda said gently. “In part it is my fault. I assured you that they would be safe in the Tower.”

Link looked up at her in despair and sighed. “You put Lei’s Crystal in the top room as I asked, yes?”

She nodded. “It seems that they were unable to find the way there. When they attacked, they all moved down to defend themselves. I believe that they won’t find that room, and being in the light as it will for the rest of time, it will be powerless.”

“Good. And Ganon, the Light Blade is hidden away?”

“Stowed it under a pile of junk here. No one would ever look for it where I put it.” He said cockily. Link nodded. His orange eyebrow twitched as he heard the noise of people outside.

“It seems that they have come here too. I guess the three of us didn’t escape their watchful eye.” Link said as he suddenly collapsed from the throbbing pain of Umbra’s wounds, which had suddenly spiked in intensity.

“Link, stay here.” Zelda said. “Ganon and I will send them away. Wait here.”

“No, I’ll go too.”

She shook her head. “Wait here. Your wounds would only make you a larger target.” With that she left the room. Ganon followed behind her, giving Link one last look.

Figure it out? The Link mentioned here is actually Roke, Fierce Deity, or Kishin, depending on the name that you go by. But it's Link in the text, because, well, it would be weird to use the name as it sounds in Hylian rather then the name as it is in Fierce Deity's language. Same deal with Ganon and Zelda. To Hylians the names sound like "Krod" and "Tiza" respectively.