Waiting out the remainder of the day was somehow more boring than the previous. Link attributed this to the fact that he had a confirmed method of escape, be it Farrah leading him out or him escaping himself with the key she had left behind.

   He tried to recall anything he had heard about Ikana's landscape so he could get a grasp on what he would have to deal with once he escaped. It was difficult since he had never been this far north in the kingdom—Eldin was mostly inhospitable to Hylians along with the Gerudo Desert, and Ikana was a hive of thieves thanks to Arbiter City. Unfortunately, that was to be his destination.

   I hope you've kept her safe, Luce, and yourself also, Link thought. He was sure everyone would look out for each other, though, and he was glad for that.

   The other guards along with Ashei continued making their visits to Link's cell throughout the day. They both knew what the guards planned to do that night if Ganondorf didn't arrive, but only Link knew that it wouldn't happen.

   At long last, the light began to fade from the cell, and there was still no sign of the Royal Guard general. Link dove into his senses, and he was pleased to find that the number of guards had begun to dwindle. It wasn't enough that it would be an easy escape, but it certainly gave him better odds. Now it was time to see if Farrah would keep her word and return to help him.

   Every minute dragged on as he waited, each more agonizing than the last. Bitterness and resignation built up. She wasn't coming, was she? He didn't sense any approaching auras, so if he was going to get out, it would have to happen now.

   After waiting a bit longer, Link gave up. He wasn't about to risk unlocking himself in the dark. But really, what did he expect to happen? At least he had a key, and he made a grab for it, grasping it tightly in his teeth so he wouldn't drop it. It was painful to pass it to his hand and contort it so he could get it into the lock, but he managed to do it.

   A satisfying click in the lock resulted in even more pain as Link's hand was released, and he spared a moment to try and get some feeling back into it before unlocking his other hand, and eventually his ankles. He was as unstable as he expected when he tried to stand, even more so as his head and chest protested. For a moment he had to lean against the wall, having to wait for the dizziness and pain to lessen.

   While he waited, his senses pricked as he picked up on an aura, approaching quickly. His heart jolted with mild anger and dread at first, but he relaxed a little when he realized that it was Farrah. He was able to get his bearings by the time she arrived, and the door was quietly unlocked and creaked open.

   "Oh, you're already out," she said in a hushed voice, closing the door behind her.

   Link pushed himself away from the wall to face the Gerudo. "I just couldn't wait," he whispered. "But I saved us some time since I'm... not at my best right now. I've probably got a couple bruised or fractured ribs, but I won't let that slow me down."

   "Alright," Farrah said with a note of concern, which surprised Link. "But might I ask how you were planning on getting out if you didn't have the door key?"

   Link hesitated before answering. "I have a lockpick. All I needed was to unlock the cuffs."

   Farrah nodded respectfully. "Smart, but I suppose that's to be expected from the Illusion. So my aim is to get you out through one of the fortress' hidden escape tunnels. They're only accessed during an emergency, so if we manage to get into one, we'll almost be set."

   Link narrowed his eyes, dubious. "That sounds way too easy."

   "That's because it is, mostly," Farrah replied. "The fortress is meant to look imposing on the outside. It doesn't mean we aren't capable of defending it well, but we would rather not fight." She reopened the door by a crack. "I'm assuming I don't need to tell you to stick close by me, so let's get going." Link nodded and followed Farrah out of the cell.

   The hall the pair emerged into was dimly lit by yellow luminous stones, splashing yellow across the red sandstone walls and other doors lining the hall—more cells.

   "The nearest passage is a bit of a ways away," Farrah said. "That means once we leave the cell block, we move quickly." Link tried to sense again before agreeing, and he was glad he did. A pair of auras were approaching, much too close to the hall for comfort.

   "Wait," he hissed, and Farrah stopped in her tracks. He traced the auras, tensing as they came closer. Farrah stared at him, confused, and he tried to ignore her gaze as he continued to focus. To his relief, the auras seemingly turned a corner and began heading away from their location.

   Once Link was sure they were far enough away, he glanced at Farrah before jabbing a thumb towards the door. She still looked curious but didn't ask. Link was surprised that she was so willing to listen to him. Then again, she had no reason to think Link would purposefully get them caught.

   The hall outside the cell block was just as desolate, with nothing adorning the walls or floors except for luminous stone holders. Shadows were deep, cast like the late-afternoon sun had a hold on them. Combined with the fact that there were no windows, it made everything seem dead, like he was wandering the corridors of some red tomb.

   The pair proceeded down the hall, taking an occasional turn and stopping whenever Link sensed other guards or Pokémon. Not a word was passed between them, but Farrah figured out quickly that Link could pick up on the presences of others before they could be seen or heard.

    Link found this all strange. He thought this was going to be difficult, and it was disconcerting that it wasn't. Any second, he expected things to go wrong. But nothing did, and eventually they arrived at a door near the end of a hall. It led into a dark storage room stacked with burlap sacks, crates, and other storage containers. Link grimaced at the sight of the numerous Pokémon pelts lining the floor.

   Farrah made her way to the back of the storage room, her eye on a corner of the space. Once there, she pulled up the corner of a pelt to reveal a standard, wooden trapdoor. Link balked at the sight. "This is it," Farrah whispered to him.

   Are ya kiddin' me? Link thought, arching an eyebrow. But it was no joke. Farrah opened the trapdoor and gestured for Link to enter. Reluctantly, he did, climbing down a small ladder to a spacious passage. Farrah followed after him, closing the door and shrouding them in pitch blackness. Link recalled when Fira used his stick as a light and decided to try it himself, summoning an orb of Courage to carry in his palm. It cast a light similar to that of the Wetland Temple's green fire, giving everything an eerie green glow.

   "I brought a lantern, but I suppose you have things covered," Farrah said.

   Link shrugged. "Ya should still use it," he said. "If we're alone down here, we might as well see." After all, there weren't any auras down here besides his and Farrah's.

   Farrah seemed entranced by the orb of Courage before she nodded. "Yes, we are alone," she said, lighting an oil lantern. "May I say it's shocking to know you're the Holder of Courage?" she continued. "I thought the Holders were only a myth."

   "It's definitely weird, but I've gotten used to it," Link said, only waiting a second before beginning to make his way down the tunnel. "So where does this lead?" he asked as they walked.

   "A small cave in the mountain next to the fortress," Farrah answered. "From the cave, you can make your way to the town south of here. You can see the town from the cave, so unless you really try, you won't get lost." She then handed him a small compass.

   Link nodded, slipping the compass into his pocket. "Alright. I think I can go the rest of the way myself. So... yeah. I guess thanks for helpin' me."

   "I need to close up the passage once you leave, so we won't be parting ways just yet," Farrah said with a frown. "But I'll accept your thanks right now."

   For several minutes more, silence filled the tunnel as Link and Farrah traversed it. This time, Link led the way since there were no diverging paths.

   "So I'm guessing the Holder of Wisdom was with you as well before you were captured?" Farrah asked, breaking the silence.

   Link answered with a quick "Yeah." The question confused him. If the guards here knew his true identity, then surely they would know Zelda's? If not, then he'd just given it away. He'd said too much with that alone, but it seemed like an incentive for Farrah to ask another question.

   "Why were you going to the temples?" While Link stayed quiet, Farrah kept talking. "Did you actually steal from the king's archives, or is that a cover story? There's also been rumors that someone in the royal court is the Holder of Power, and people have been thinking it's one of generals or captains. Do you know?"

   Link sighed, annoyed by her questioning. "Look, I don't wanna answer, alright?"

   Farrah's face fell. "Sorry. We've all been so confused since we've mostly been in the dark. But don't you trust me by now?"

   A slight pang of pity hit Link. There was no denying that Farrah had been exceedingly kind up until this point, and it aligned with what Villia had said. Farrah could just be another tired guard. But could he say that he truly trusted Farrah? Fortunately, he didn't have to answer as what seemed like a dead end came into view. "It don't matter anyways since we're at the end now," he said.

   "It seems you're right," Farrah said dryly. She moved aside a rock in the wall on the right side of the passage, which seemed to trigger something. A section of the wall began to slide aside, vanishing into a gap that had been carved deep into the wall. Behind Farrah, Link could faintly see the walls of a cave, and cool, dry air began flowing into the passage. Link took a moment to breathe it in, relieved to know that he was really getting out of here. "Wait, can I ask one more question?" Farrah asked.

   Link groaned internally but looked at her. "Depends on what it is," he said as he crushed the light in his hand. The full moon would be enough.

   "Is it possible to transfer the power of a Triforce piece to another person?" That wasn't something Link was about to answer. Unfortunately, Farrah was able to pull an answer from it. "I'll take that silence as a yes."

   Suspicion began to sprout in Link's mind. "Why're ya askin' anyways?"

   "Because it might've made things a lot easier for us if we had all the pieces amongst ourselves," Farrah said. "You wouldn't have had to go through what Captain Ashei had done to you, and we wouldn't have to search so hard for the Holder of Wisdom. I'm sure you wish that you could go back to being the Illusion, don't you?"

   "Yeah, but I'm still glad I'm a Holder. I wouldn't've met some of my closest friends if I wasn't," Link said. He didn't like where this was going at all, even if it was merely Farrah expressing a hypothetical.

   "I see..." Farrah mused, nodding. "I wonder if the Holder of Wisdom would give me the same answer?"

   She wouldn't, not in the slightest. But that was besides the point. "I'm leavin'," he muttered. "Th-thanks again for helpin' me." He was tempted to shove Farrah out of the way as he passed her, but she took hold of his shoulder and shoved him against the wall. Even if she was short for a Gerudo, she still had at least five inches on Link in height. "What the—?"

   "Not until you give me the Triforce of Courage," Farrah spoke. Before Link could retaliate, a piercing pain jabbed into his gut. It was deep, sharp, brutal. He'd experienced this pain before, though it was only an illusion. When he looked down, his thoughts were proven right.

   Farrah's dagger was sunken in his stomach.

   Link didn't know how to think or react. Shock and anger rose and entangled in him, forced down by the urge to scream out in pain. It sent his thoughts into chaos, but one was clear as heat flooded his veins: Make it stop! However, Farrah seemed to anticipate Link's retaliation, and she pushed the dagger in a little more. Another wave of pain shocked his system and halted Courage's flow, and he couldn't help but cry out.

   "Don't make this difficult," Farrah hissed. "Just give me the Triforce of Courage, and everything will be fine. We have healer Pokémon back at the fortress, so I can patch you up and send you on your way." She laughed bitterly. "Then again, we all know your face, so who knows how long you'll last out there? But it'd be better than this."

   Link struggled to react in some way. Every movement he tried to make was met with more pain as Farrah either stabbed further or twisted the blade. He could hardly get a grasp on his normal strength, let alone his divine strength.

   "I don't know why you Hylian Rattata can't just accept King Daemos, you have to fight and fight! Unlike you, I'll cooperate with General Dragmire and the king," Farrah continued angrily. "If the king is trying to summon the Triforce, I hope he does something about all of you. We gave you a chance, two-hundred years of chances, but now it's time for us to take real action!"

   Link fought through the agony to respond. "I-I can't give it to ya," he growled. "And e-even if I could, I-I wouldn't, ya desert scum!" With effort, he grabbed Farrah's wrist and twisted it, making her scream and release her grip on the dagger. Link's other hand ensnared her throat, and he shoved her to the ground, planting his knee on her chest.

   Farrah struggled, but Link had her pinned. Courage was finally able to course through him, heating him and dulling the pain of his injury. He dug his knee into Farrah's ribcage, and she cried out again. If she thought this was bad, then she was in for a horrible surprise. Link tightened his grip, beginning to strangle the Gerudo. Why did he think this would work out? Villia had lied, Farrah had lied, they were all liars, every single one! And they wondered why everyone despised them. Rage consumed Link, blotting out the pain as he wrung Farrah's air from her, squeezing tighter and tighter. She didn't deserve to take another breath for what she'd done, what they'd all done. And a few moments later, she ceased trying as her aura fizzled out.

   That had been it. Link didn't feel anything, no anger, regret, or sadness at the fact he'd just taken a life. There was nothing besides a deep bitterness that smoldered like hot coals. But he only had a moment to feel this as his pain resurged, like he'd been knifed again.

   Link was unable to keep from screaming this time as he doubled over, his hand instinctively grasping at the dagger. Farrah had managed to stab it over halfway to the hilt, and Link shuddered when he felt the metal shift inside him. This wasn't like in the temple where the pain was an illusion, this was real. He was genuinely bleeding out with no way to stop it.

   A coldness began to seep into Link's gut, chilling him. How could he stop the bleeding? Besides the bleeding, how was he supposed to treat a stab wound like this? The chill grew, and Link's heart began to race. Zelda knew how to treat more shallow ones, but she wasn't here now.

   No, what was he thinking? Link shook his head, smacking himself with a blood-streaked hand. He had no right to be afraid, not when he could still get out of this. After all, he was already out of the fortress, and there was a village nearby. He just had to get there, and he could recall enough from Zelda's ramblings to keep the wound from worsening.

   Zel and Luce are waitin', Link told himself as Courage again dulled the pain.

   He forced himself to his feet, leaning heavily against the wall as he did so. A black splotch had already formed around the dagger, and it was only growing larger. As much as Link wanted to pull it out, he knew he had to keep the blade in or risk bleeding out more. Or was that when the wounded person wouldn't be moving? He could feel the dagger in him with every movement he made, so it had to be doing more damage like this. The two thoughts battled briefly in his mind before he made himself go with his gut instinct. He couldn't leave it in.

   As carefully as he could, Link took hold of the dagger's hilt before he began to pull it out as slowly as he could bring himself to. The resulting pain made him want to retch, but he didn't stop. Finally, it was out. Link grasped the bloodied weapon tightly, fingers forming a death grip. At least he had some kind of weapon now, and he wouldn't dare let it go.

   The breeze became more intense when Link staggered out of the cave, lifting particles of sand from the crests of the gentle, gray-dyed dunes before him. A million stars along with the full moon provided enough light for Link to see a large splotch of black out in the sand, standing out against the sky. Bits of orange and yellow dotted the splotch—fires and torches. That had to be the village.

   Link's boots sank past the heel in the sand as he trudged south. He kept his gaze straight ahead as he focused on the flow of Courage. He needed to make sure he wasn't using too much, so he had to keep some of the pain present. It kept his other senses active, so he also tried to reach out with Aura.

   There were Pokémon around him, many more than he thought there would be. Zubat in the sky as other, unseen Pokémon burrowed deep beneath the sand. There were also others, ones he could sense nearby. They weren't too close, and they didn't seem hostile, so Link chose to ignore them.

   Slowly but surely, the splotch of the village began to grow. He was actually making progress. He would've let out a sigh of relief if he already wasn't heaving for breath. There couldn't have been much divine energy left for him to use.

   While he could keep the pain at bay, there was nothing to stop the dizziness that had begun to sway his balance. Cursing internally, he dared to pull back his senses so he could focus on putting one foot in front of the other. It was only a matter of time until this would happen. He didn't want to look down to see the state of his tunic, he already had a good idea of how much blood he'd lost.

   Other thoughts began to creep back into Link's mind. How long had it been since he started walking? What was he going to do when he made it to the village? Would he even make it there? He silenced the thoughts with a sharp bite to his own tongue. The new gush of blood prompted an internal exclamation of: Shut up! They're waitin' for ya, so just keep goin'!

   He was sure Zelda would love this, him trying to be disgustingly positive for once. It would be yet another small victory for her to claim, and it would be one he would happily give her. Positivity was better than the alternative, even if it was more realistic. He silenced those other thoughts before they could rise yet again.

   It was then that Link's senses flared, and he froze. Three, no, five Pokémon were approaching from behind him. Interest and anticipation flickered through the auras like static, growing when Link turned around. Not thirty feet away was a quartet of scarecrow-like silhouettes, but of course they weren't scarecrows. They were Cacturne, their yellow eyes glowing in the dark.

   The Cacturne stopped when Link did, hanging back as they stared at him. He'd heard stories of these Pokémon, how they stalked travelers at night and killed them when they collapsed from exhaustion. Right now, he was a prime target for them. Could they smell the blood dripping from his tunic? He shuddered. He couldn't deny the fact that he was in no state to fight a Pokémon off, let alone five.

   "G-get the hell back!" Link demanded, raising the dagger. The Cacturne didn't react, continuing to stare at him with goulish smiles plastered on their faces. Link wasn't about to approach them to get them to leave, so he turned back around and resumed his trudge through the sand.

   Another minute or so passed with the Cacturne in tow. They maintained the same distance, making sure Link didn't leave their sight. That was mostly fine with him, and he kept a bead on their auras. As long as they didn't follow him into the village, he'd be fine.

   Soon, Link crested a dune, and his heart leapt. The village was so close now. He only had to pass over four or five more dunes, and he would be at the outskirts. Unfortunately, in this time, the Cacturne hadn't left. In fact, they started closing the distance between themselves and Link, knowing that their prey was close to escaping. He had to get rid of them now.

   He didn't say a thing, it would've taken too much energy. Link grasped the last of Courage's power and whirled around, slashing the dagger out like it was the Master Sword. He'd been so used to performing this move with the divine blade that he didn't anticipate the energy bursting from the dagger's end prematurely. Green light trailed from the blade in a sickle-shaped crescent and sliced towards the Cacturne.

   The results of this new move were interesting. Visible gashes appeared across the Pokémon's torsos as dry hisses escaped them, and they were knocked to the ground. Link didn't wait for them to get up, turning and risking a desperate scramble down the dune's side. But his feet tangled, and his legs gave out, sending him sprawling.

   For a moment, his vision spiraled between pale yellow and navy as he tumbled down the slope of the dune, coming to rest at its base. That had been all the Courage he had left, so the full force of the pain hit him once again, but all he could let out was a whimper. He fought the urge to curl into a shivering ball and struggled to his hands and knees. The Cacturne were gone, he could keep going.

   Link hardly felt his fingers sinking into the sand as he crawled. He couldn't even see the village anymore, nor did he have the strength to try and fumble the compass from his pocket. It was almost impossible to remain in his current position as it was. All he could do was attempt to crest the next dune and hope he'd be able to regain his bearings. Hopefully. He almost laughed. How did Zelda manage to think so positively all the time?

   Before he could get far, he felt the approach of the Cacturne again. His heart dropped into his stomach. They were still after him.

   Link's arms shook as he realized this, and he tried to push himself to move faster. Bit by bit, he shuffled forwards. He couldn't even tell if he was crawling up the dune, everything was sand and cold air. He swore he could hear scratching behind him, and it was gaining on him.

   You're gonna die.
  
   The words rang in his head as the icy feeling returned, making Link colder than he already was. What made things worse was that he couldn't think of anything that would make it go away. It only grew stronger, smothering any remaining coals burning in him. The excitement of the Cacturne mixed with the panic in a sickening slurry, and his strained breaths became desperate wheezes.

   Ya lost the dagger, and you're crawlin', so how could ya fight them off?

   His arms crumpled beneath him as the strain proved to be too much, and he collapsed again. That was it, he couldn't move any more. The auras of the Cacturne were nothing but faint pulses as they approached him. Anything beyond them was nothing to Link as his senses began to shut down.

   You're dying.
  
   Through his wavering vision, Link saw green flood it as he found himself looking at the feet of a Cacturne. They were surrounding him now, leering down at him with hungry gazes. The corners of Link's eyes began to sting as his chest tightened. This was really how it was going to end, wasn't it? His only hope dashed and Cacturne eating him alive. How was he even still alive then? It didn't matter since he wouldn't be for much longer.

   That really cemented it. He was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it. He thought of Luce, doing all she could to protect him even when her life was at risk, being both his parents after their passing. Resa, Fira, trying to understand him and letting Luce open up to someone besides him.

   But then there was Zelda, with her beautiful face, delicate yet calloused hands, and gap-toothed grin. He gave his direct word to her that he would be okay. Now it had become a lie, and there was no way to apologize.

   A new pain struck him, like needles sinking into his arm. Link closed his eyes, accepting his fate. If he could have thanked everyone for all they'd done, he would have. The wind picked up into a gale, cooling his flushed face. He swore he could hear another sound mixed in with the wind, an almost melodic cry. Perhaps it was Hylia herself coming to claim him? He was at least glad he could feel the wind; it reminded him of Ordon.