It didn't take you long at all to reach the stable closest to Hateno. You walked quickly and with purpose, and this ensured that you reached the stable by the time the sun set the evening after you left the village. You walked up to the main desk and smiled at the owner.

"Good evening, Miss," the man said, tipping his hat to you.

You bowed your head slightly in greeting, and said, "Likewise, sir. Is there any chance that a horse named Nayru would be kept here? She's a white mare."

"As a matter of fact," he said, "she is here. A blonde fella had us take her into our care just the other day, in fact. Is she yours?"

You nodded your head in answer. "I'd like to take her out, please."

"Of course, excuse me." The man leaned out of the window, resting his elbows on the frame. "Hey, Frey," he called, getting the attention of one of the workers leaning against one of the fences. The worker looked to his boss, wondering what he wanted. "Get the white mare out and get her ready for riding!"

"Yes, sir," the worker said, pushing away from the fence and heading towards the side of the stable to get her.

In a matter of minutes, Nayru was brought to you and you greeted her happily. You grabbed the reins in one hand as they were handed to you and stroked her neck with the other. She nuzzled you, clearly having missed you.

"Hey, you," you said affectionately, "Sorry it's been a few days. We're gonna be traveling on our own for a while, alright?" She bobbed her head as if to answer you, and in response you reached into your pack and let her eat a carrot out of your hand. You led her back over to the stable's desk and offered another smile to the owner. "Excuse me," you said. "The man who you saw drop this horse off...Did he say where he was headed?"

The man shook his head. "It isn't in our business to go asking folks where they're headed, unless they offer to tell. No, he was right and silent as he dropped off your mare here, just giving us her name. Is that your fella?"

You sighed. "No, he isn't," you said with a shake of your head. "We were partners traveling together. But I got hurt pretty severely just a few days ago and he thought it best to bring me home against my wishes."

"That's mighty sweet of him," he said.

"Sweet, yes, but I told him I didn't want to go home. The amount of times he's gotten hurt on our journey so far...Well, thank you anyway. Have a good day." You stepped off of the small platform and tugged Nayru gently behind you. You began walking away when the man spoke again.

"He may not have told me where he was headed," the man said, making you stop in your tracks and turn your head to look back at him. "I did, however, see what road he went down."

"Did you, now?" You prompted, smiling.

"I did indeed. That road there," he said, pointing to a road that cut through a field and went north, "that's the one he went down."

"Thank you so much," you said with a grin as you swung up into your mare's saddle.

"It's nothing," the owner said. "I hope you find him, and have safe travels!"

---

Other than knowing that he went down the road you were currently on, you had absolutely no idea just where he was. You had a feeling he was headed towards Zora's Domain, considering that was your next destination anyway before you got injured.

You could only hope that he didn't get sidetracked, because the road to the Domain was a lone, long one. It was well-known that the Zora weren't exactly welcoming to guests, especially Hylians, since the Calamity 100 years ago. When their Champion Mipha died, it was as great a tragedy as the rest of their deaths, but the Zora seemed to take it as a personal attack.

If you reached the Domain first, or perhaps too late, you didn't want to be stuck waiting for him any longer than you had to, despite the rumors of the beauty of the Domain.

As you rode along the road, the sun dipping below the horizon, you realized you still felt sore from your injuries and slowed Nayru a bit. You rolled your shoulder, groaning in discomfort. This pain would at least be bearable if I had some company, you thought. But Link had to be the hero, like always...but do you really count as a hero if you go against someone's wishes?

It wasn't like this was the first time you had gotten injured. You had gotten cuts and scrapes and bruises before, and even major burns- the difference here was that this time, Link had freaked out. Thinking back on it, you realized that it must have been scary for him to see you nearly within death's clutches. He had lost, 100 years ago, all of his friends and family. He didn't even know his family name in order to seek them out. And now, when he finally got someone to support him completely, you had nearly died trying to protect him...

You would've wanted to get him someplace safe, too.

That didn't mean you weren't upset with him, however. To put it simply, you missed him. After spending months with one person, you become reliant on them, and Link was no exception. The two of you leaned on each other for everything and the two of you worked so well together that it felt weird to even be without him.

And of course, it didn't make it any better that Link had gotten into the stupid habit of holding your hand when you went to bed after the whole Myra incident. He probably didn't think you noticed, because you hadn't asked him about it or brought it up, but in all honesty, it helped you sleep as well.

When you were in your old home for those three nights, you hadn't been able to sleep- at least, not very well. There was something oddly soothing about having an anchor there while you slept; a reminder that someone was there for you, someone to keep you grounded.

Without that anchor, you simply floated away.

---

There was something very odd about traveling alone after being with a partner for so long. When engaging in battles, you expected him to be there, having your back, but you had no such luck. You didn't complain, if there was a monster you killed it without fail, keeping your promise to Link to help him in every way you could, but you had to fight in a completely different style.

Stealth, for example, had always been something you were good at, but really all you had originally needed to do was go from one piece of cover to another. Now, you had to sneak up on monsters directly, now that you ran out of arrows so much quicker. Without someone there to do half of the work, you ran out of arrows very quickly, leaving you to take out your melee weapons and get up close and personal with them.

You were in turn forced to come up with new strategies during those first few days on your own. You tested new ways of going about fights now that you were alone. And though you knew that you weren't nearly as skilled a fighter as Link was, you managed to kill every monster you came across. After only a few days, you became very efficient in killing the typical monsters you saw very often- Bokoblins and Moblins, for the most part- but you soon became proficient in killing Lizalfos and the much rarer Wizzrobes.

Even larger enemies, like Hinoxes and their creepier skeletal counterparts, became relatively simple to deal with as time went on. You hadn't yet faced a Lynel on your own, nor a stone Talus, and this you were grateful for. Even with Link, facing either of the two monsters was something you both dreaded.

Now you had a series of strategies to use on them. You always had plenty of time to experiment, of course, due to the Blood Moons that rose periodically. They always reset your progress. Each day, you fought as many monsters as you could as you grew closer and closer to Zora's Domain to simultaneously protect villagers and aid Link, should he chance upon the roads you'd been on. But the Blood Moons ensured that what monsters you killed came back, rendering your work useless.

Nevertheless, you kept at it, your hope and determination never waning. No matter how many times you looked up at the night sky and seen a moon as red as the blood that flowed within you, you never gave up. Even when you had to face a Stalnox twice in one night due to the event bringing one you'd just killed back to life, you kept fighting.

You needed to, for Link's sake, and for your own.

If you didn't fight, you'd just aimlessly wander the lands. But in fulfilling your promise to Link, to help him however you could, even if that meant killing every monster you saw, at least you had a goal. You had something to work towards, and you knew that you were at least helping someone with what you did.

And though months went by without you seeing Link, you still held hope in your heart that you'd find him. At every stable you asked if anyone had seen him. Usually, they hadn't. But if someone did recognize your description of him, he had passed through a long time ago. Each instance fueled you to keep going, because nothing would keep you from him.

---

You woke up one morning to find that you were camped very close to a stable. Upon stepping out of the woods and realizing this, you had groaned in frustration. If you had known you were so close, you would've just slept in the stable instead of in the forest.

Urging Nayru forward, you approached the stable. You lowered your hood and looked at everyone near the structure, looking for Link. You didn't see him outright so you approached the main desk. The stable owner looked at you as you came closer. Reaching the desk, you slowed Nayru and turned her so you could see the man.

"What can I do for you, miss," he asked as he leaned forward on the desk, resting most of his weight on his elbows.

"I was wondering if you'd seen a man about my age with blonde hair and blue eyes pass through here," you said. "He would've been on a brown mare."

The man's eyebrows furrowed with confusion. He was likely wondering why you were asking while at the same time trying to recall if he'd seen him. After a quiet moment, he shook his head. "I don't think someone like that's been through here."

"Alright," you said with a sigh. "Thank you any-"

"(Y/n)?"

Your eyes widened at the familiar voice. It was one that had been in the back of your mind. Of all the ones you were expecting to hear, or even not to hear, this was the last. You turned your head and you ended up meeting eyes with your brother.

"Pan," you said uselessly, obviously knowing it was him. With a grin, you got off of Nayru and threw your arms around him, hugging him. He hugged you back after a moment.

"(Y/n)," he said, pulling away from you. "What are you doing here? Why are you so far from home, and without mom or dad?"

You rolled your eyes as you stepped away from him. "It's a long story, but the short of it is that I'm on an adventure."

"How? I thought you hated even the idea of an adventure."

"I used to," you said, "but then someone came to the village and my opinion changed."

His eyes narrowed. "Who came to the village?"

"I can tell you, but you wouldn't believe me," you said as you grabbed Nayru's reins and led her away from the stable desk. Your brother followed, keeping pace with you. His donkey, carrying on its back several large packs, followed after him.

"What I really can't believe is how different you look." He let out a little chuckle. "I mean, look at you. You're dirty and you look like you actually have muscle now."

You punched his arm lightly. "Shut it."

The two of you continued to walk away from the stable along the road. When you rounded a turn, Pan looked at you. "So where are you headed, then?"

"Towards Zora's Domain," you answered.

"The Domain? The Zora dislike Hylians, you know that."

You sighed. "Of course I know that. But I'm looking for someone and that's where they should be headed."

"This is the same person who made you change your mind?" You nodded. "So why can't you tell me?"

"You'd think I was crazy," you said, looking at him.

"I'm your brother; I'll always think you're crazy."

The smile he gave you ignited one on your face that you simply couldn't avoid. "Alright, alright," you relented. You took a breath. "His name is-"

"It's a guy? Jeez, (Y/n), I didn't have you tagged as a girl to follow after a boy like this."

You scoffed. "Pan, just listen. His name is Link, and if you're wondering if he was named after the Hylian Champion from a century ago, don't. He is the hero from back then." Pan went to interrupt but you held up a hand, cutting him off. "After he fell, he was put into the Shrine of Resurrection. He only woke up earlier this year and...I asked to accompany him on his journey. He agreed, and since then we'd been traveling together."

Your older brother took a moment to digest this information. A contemplative look adorned his features and you waited for him to speak. He finally found words, and spoke. "So where is he now, then?"

"I...I don't know."

"You're heading for the Domain, aren't you?"

"Well, yes, because that's where we were headed before...before I got hurt and he brought me home."

Pan's eyes widened and he stopped walking. "He let you get hurt?"

You stopped walking as well and sent him a look. "It wasn't his fault. I didn't want him to get hurt so I was reckless."

Pan sighed and continued walking. You fell into step alongside him. "At least he brought you home."

"I didn't want him to."

Pan looked at you. "What is he to you?"

"We aren't anything but partners."

He didn't seem convinced, but you weren't entirely convinced of what you said either. "And what do you want to be?"

"Pan, don't ask me those kinds of questions."

"Alright, fine. But that answered my question by itself."

"Where are you headed, anyway?"

"I'll be heading down this road until it breaks into two roads. I'll be heading west when that fork comes. I'll be making my way home soon, actually."

"When you get home, don't tell mom and dad that you saw me. I don't want you in trouble too."

Pan's eyes widened. "They're at our place? Why?"

"Because they heard word that I disappeared from Hateno with some stranger. When Link brought me home, they kept me there and Link went off by himself."

"And now you think he's at the Domain?"

You nodded. "He needs to tame the Divine Beasts. We already visited Rito Village and the Gerudo Desert. Our next goal was to go to the Domain and then make our way up to Death Mountain."

"If he's doing all of that, what did you do?"

"I did the cooking, and I tended to his wounds."

"And you're sure he's the hero?"

"Yes, I am. He has with him the Master Sword- I was there when he got it. I saw it, and I know it's real. So yes, it's him."

Pan was quiet for a moment. You peered over at him from the side, wondering what he was thinking. Whatever he was thinking or would say wouldn't change your mind in any way, but he was your brother and you didn't want him upset with you.

Just as you looked away, he looked at you with a large grin on his face. He gestured to his donkey. You stopped, surprised, as he asked, "Wanna buy some crabs?"

---

You traveled with Pan for quite a few days. During the course of those few days, Pan learned how good of a fighter you were. There were many monsters along that road and he, like many traveling merchants, had little experience with fights. He had pushed you behind him the first time, only for you to step around him and kill the monsters with ease.

The look on his face had been priceless.

But eventually, the fork in the road came. You had enjoyed the past few days- not only were you traveling with someone again, but that person happened to be your brother who you had been close with since your birth. He lightened the mood easily and the both of you spend most of your time catching up and cracking jokes. When the fork in the road came, the two of you had hugged. Pan pressed a quick kiss to your forehead and you said your goodbyes before walking away from each other.

You found yourself looking back towards that road several times, seeing his small figure accompanied by his donkey, before you turned around a bend in the road and couldn't see him anymore.

---

It didn't take you very long, however, to find another traveler on the road. As you rode along the road on the white mare as the moon rose, you heard someone call out to you. "Excuse me," they called.

You pulled back gently on Nayru's reins, stopping her. You turned your head slowly, locking eyes with the lone stranger silently. Your hood was up, so the man leaned forward to try to see into your hood, and with that, you knew exactly what this person was.

Lowering your hood, you watched as he took a step back and frowned, clearly disappointed that you weren't who he thought you were. He then let a wicked looking smile spread across his lips. "Ah, miss. Would you be interested in joining the Yiga Clan? You seem like a smart girl, so I'm sure you'll make the right decision here."

"You want me to join the Yiga Clan, huh?" The man nodded eagerly, obviously thinking you were considering it. "You're right in saying that I'm a smart girl. I'm far too smart, in fact, to join the group that wants my closest friend and partner dead."

His face fell. "But, miss...You must be aware that if you aren't with us, you're against us."

"Of course I'm aware of that. You might not be aware, however, that I'm a much better fighter than you are."

His face turned to one of anger. "Want to test that, miss?"

"Gladly," you said, taking out a spear. The man jumped away and, in a puff of smoke, changed into the traditional mask and body suit of the Yiga Clan. He took out his sickle, the jagged metal scraping against its scabbard making a nasty scraping sound. You did not wince, however. You merely waited for him to make the first move.

He laughed, one that sent a slight shiver down your spine, before leaping back once more in a puff of smoke and charging towards you. By the time he was even halfway to you, you had gotten both of your feet under you on Nayru's saddle and leapt off of it, grabbing your bow and sending a quick flurry of arrows towards him.

One nailed him in the shoulder but he kept charging. Nayru trotted away and you dropped to the ground in a crouch where she just had been. You took your spear back into your hands and thrusted it forwards, threading it through his sickle. With a quick jerk of your hands, it was out of his and on the ground several yards away. He looked over at it, and that was his next mistake.

You pressed the spear tip to his neck. He grunted in pain and you merely peered into his eyes. "Is the humiliation worth it, I wonder," you mused quietly, just loud enough for him to hear. "Your leader is gone, we took care of him. Link has already taken care of two of the Divine Beasts and we've collectively taken down dozens of your forces. And yet you keep going like this. Don't you realize you're on the wrong side, here?"

He didn't say a word. "Don't you have a family to get home to? I really don't want to steal your bananas and Rupees, but if you make me, I will." You applied a bit more pressure with the spear. "Leave, before I change my mind and do something drastic."

In a puff of smoke, he was gone. You took a breath and calmed yourself. The anger you felt whenever you saw a member of that stupid clan was immeasurable. The fact that they were so hell-bent on killing Link, someone who was a perfect embodiment of everything that was good in the world, confused and angered you.

As you whistled for your horse, you put your spear away. Nayru trotted up to you and without her needing to stop to jumped up and grabbed her saddle, setting one food in the stirrup and swinging the other over. You settled yourself in for the ride, knowing that it would be early morning before you decided to stop for a few hours.

Once back on the road, you looked up at the moon and wondered if Link was looking up at it as well.

There was no way for you to know this, but he was. As he settled in for bed, he got onto his back with his arms behind his head. He gazed up through a break in the trees as the moon and wondered if you were looking up at it as he was.

He wished, as you did, that you were looking at it together. He didn't regret bringing you home so you could heal in peace, but he did regret leaving without you. But now he was on his own, as it should have been. In every other story, the hero had been alone on his journey.

He sighed, knowing that he didn't want his story to be like the others. He wanted you there with him, but he had ruined that. Now there was nothing for him to do but push on, despite how much his heart wanted him to wait.

He didn't realize that his story was already unlike any other the Goddesses had ever witnessed and likely ever would, and he would only continue to go against what fate originally had in store for the lone hero.

Author's Note: How was everyone's holidays? Mine were fantastic- got the mini SNES, for one thing, and a load of other things, but honestly, just having Christmas and my birthday in one vacation is great by itself.

Sorry this took a little bit- I was a bit worn out from updating so much, I  was sick leading up to break, and then during break I was at my mother's and I forgot my laptop. Oops.

But I'm home and excited to begin pumping out updates again. And this really amazing guy and I have been talking back and forth for weeks now and if he isn't the sweetest thing

He also just so happens to be on the school basketball team and they won at their game (on my birthday, no less) yesterday. It's only because I wished him luck, of course. ;-)

Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Only a short while more before we see the heartfelt reunion between our beloved two protagonists. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you all in the next one.