-Bayou, Link-

Spirits in town were poor with their heavy death tolls and the loss of Ouki. Everyone felt defeated, even though they technically won. The war Ouki fought was to stop the Zhao invasion. This was a success... but only from a narrow point of view. Anyone who understood the times could plainly see Qin had lost. Zhao retreated because their objective had succeeded: Qin had lost its greatest military leader.

Night fell and Link returned to the house where he was allowed to stay. He approached the door and knocked. A man opened it, recognized Link, and welcomed him inside. The citizens of Bayou had opened their homes to the soldiers. This was an obligation on their part, and while many soldiers might take advantage of it, Link made sure to be polite. He also ensured his remaining unit did not take the advantage too much.

"Thank you for giving us a place to stay," Link bowed.

"Not at all, you all saved us. It is the least we can do." The man smiled. His family, a wife and seven kids ranging from newborn to twenty-years of age, greeted Link. Despite their best efforts, their smile was dim. They once had nine children. The joy of surviving only goes so far. Times like these were dark.

"I hope everyone has not eaten too much. I'll pay."

The man stared at Link in shock. Link did not know it, but it was very unusual for soldiers or officers to pay back what they took. "You really don't have to-"

"At least a few of you will be starving while you feed your family, yes? Your farms around the fortress are burned, your food stores are low, and suddenly you all have an army in your walls." Link smiled as the man grimaced. "I guessed as much. My home is a simple plantation. Despite that, there are good times and there are times where you just have to tighten your belt. I know what it's like to go hungry."

Link reached into his pouch and dropped a couple coins and rupees in the man's hand. The man gasped at the wealth. The few coins and rupees were of the highest value. Link walked to his room.

"This is too much!"

Link waved it off, "Keep it! I can't count anyway." He snatched a fair bit of coin off dead Zhao when everyone was looting. He was also in store for a lower officer's portion from the palace, in addition to bonuses for his achievements.

Link walked up the stairs. The house was entirely too small and compact for nearly fifteen people, but they made do. His team was given most of the futons or made spots in the corner of the children's room. However, only the older children were allowed to sleep in there with the soldiers. Link didn't know where the rest of the family slept.

"Hey," Link greeted as he entered. "Did you guys try and starve out the family downstairs by eating all their stuff?"

"Hey! I eat when I'm sad," Hei replied.

"No surprise there," Link teased. "You always were a fatass-" He stopped himself when Den Yuu shot a glare from the corner of his eye. Link gulped, "Never mind. Eat as much as you all need to regain your strength." He acknowledged Den Yuu, "Especially you, big guy. I'm paying them."

"Thanks," Several of them said.

Kyo Gai and Hei were the two most able to stand and move. Solitare and Den Yuu continued to lay down. Den Yuu was eating enough meat to make up for all of them, but then again, he also lost a great deal of blood after being pierced with so many arrows. He was recovering, but it would be a few days before he would find the strength to stand on his own feet again. A doctor visited every day to check on him and Solitare. Speaking of her, Solitare was having a much slower recovery. Her burns weren't of a lethal nature as arrows might be, but they take a very long time to heal. And every moment is very painful. She spent all night shaking in pain or shifting around, leaving the rest of the group with little sleep as well. She herself didn't sleep at all, except when passed out from pain or exhaustion.

Link sat by Solitare and put down a bag, "Here you go, Solitare. I got something for ya."

She groaned and peered up at him weakly. Sweat covered her body.

Link put down a bottle filled with liquid, "Doctors said this ointment will help the burns heal." He put down a second bottle filled with powder. "And this will drug you against the pain. They said to only stick a finger in, suck on it, and that will be enough."

"Hey, that stuff isn't what the army doctors are giving her," Kyo Gai noted.

"Yeah, well, the army can't afford to pay the extra rupee for her with so many others wounded. I can!" Link replied defensively.

"I'm not calling you out, just be careful. Some of that non-regulated stuff can be highly addicting or dangerous. You never know what they put in it or what it will do."

Link grunted and looked back at Solitare. Seeing as he had her attention, he said, "If this stuff is addicting, we'll fight it together. Get me? You aren't fighting this alone."

Solitare nodded and tried to smile but grimaced in pain.

"How exactly are you-" Kyo Gai tied to ask, but Link already stuck his finger in the bottle, pulled his hand up, and suckled on it. "DON'T JUST TAKE IT!"

"I CAN TASTE THE COLORS!" Link yelled.

"And... he's high," Hei put a hand on his face and groaned.

Kyo Gai snatched the bottle from Link, who fell back on the floorboarding, staring at the ceiling with a wide-eyed expression. "Yeah, no more for you," He said. Kyo Gai sniffed it, licked the barest edge of the bottle's lid, and spit it out. "Oh yeah, that's the good stuff. Despite our lovable moron's methods," Link giggled, "He's right. The army won't go out of their way to pay the extra rupee for every day soldiers. It's on the officers to invest in their own soldiers out of their portion. Just take a lesson from him and take... much less."

Kyo Gai left to ask for the woman of the house. Returning with the mother of the family, he gave her instructions on what to do with the stuff Link brought back. Next, he and Hei dragged a giggling Link out of the room. They couldn't move Den Yuu very well, so the man closed his eyes and turned away while the mother exposed Solitare enough to rub her down. Even so, Den felt a bit uncomfortable; he was married after all.

It was peaceful for all of ten seconds. The woman groaned when yelling and crashing started outside the room. Girls squealed in fright and a yelling match began.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? DON'T STRIP! There are girls present!"

"It's infested with spiders! And why do you have the face of a bird?"

"Put your ***** clothes on!... Okay good, keep the pants at least. Now for the- Holy shit that's a lot of scars! -No! Don't-" More crashing ensued.

"Spider-chickens are everywhere! It's all over me! I'm getting chickenpox! I'M GONNA DIE!"

"What the hell are spider chickens?!"

"Kyo hold him down!"

"GAH!"

"How is he in four places at once?! Which one is he?"

More crashing rattled the house.

The mother sighed, "Are they always like this?"

"Yeah," Solitare chuckled. Then she groaned in pain: laughing hurt. "They're a bunch of morons."

-Later-

Days passed. Even though the war was over, there was a need for recovery, formalities, and a distribution of portions. Portions were not coin and rupee, per say, but an acknowledgement of debt to be paid in some form or fashion. These portions were written on notes for each soldier.

The soldier would then meet with their respective higher ups and come to an agreement on their personal achievements in the war. Proof and witnesses were always useful. Participating and surviving certain battles, killing a certain number of Zhao, and killing a Zhao of rank were the primary methods for bonuses. There were other ways, such as those assigned scouting or medical duties in the war, and they would also earn portions.

With the achievements and portions agreed upon, and the soldiers mostly recovered, the army took the slow march back to Genyuu Pass. Den Yuu had recovered enough, but Solitare was just reaching the part of her burns when the burnt skin peels. So as the army moved, Link's remaining unit took turns carrying her as gently as they could.

The army marched to Genyuu Pass and then to Kanyou, which was only a stone's throw away by then. The capital opened its gates, and they looked to see people cheering as they entered. A street was opened for them to walk through, and it seemed like the entire city had crowded the surrounding area to cheer them on. They threw glitter and flowers down on them, and despite everything the soldiers went through, Link felt himself smile just a bit. The pomp and circumstance was not asked for, but it showed how grateful Qin was for them. The rest of his team also tried to enjoy it and wave back.

"Don't they realize how much smaller this army was from when it started?" Hei wondered.

"Of course they do. Everyone knows. But we won, Hei. We stopped Zhao from invading and killing our mothers... our wives," Kyo Gai said.

"Our daughters," Den Yuu whispered, thinking of his own family.

Hei still didn't understand, "But the Zhao's objective was Ouki!"

"And they don't need to know that," Kyo Gai answered. "Just... let them have this. For that matter, you need this too." Hei grit this teeth angrily. "Hei... Even if you don't want this, let your brother have it. He died for a reason. Let them honor him."

Hei breathed in deeply. He nodded, "Alright."

Link listened to his team talk, for once keeping his thoughts to himself. Normally, he would probably be louder than all of them, but something about this occasion struck him with a meaning he just wanted to soak in. It wasn't until now he allowed himself to miss who died. In the war, he had to push the deaths to the back of his mind so he could have the strength to move forward. Now... he found it difficult to walk. It felt almost wrong for Ouki to not lead them through the crowd-filled street. He wanted Tou to be here. He wanted the rest of his unit to be here. He wanted Ganondorf to be here.

Link sighed. Ganondorf had been found in the belly of the demon and was imprisoned for judgement at the Mitagi fortress. Link vowed he would manage to see him. He looked back at his team. Den and Kyo were in good spirits, and Hei was trying to stay positive. Therefore, his immediate concern was with Solitare. She was on Den Yuu's large back.

"You okay back there, Soli?" Link asked.

"No!" She snapped and then whimpered. "Won't be... for a while. Everything that touches the burns hurt. It feels like my own clothes are stabbing me." Link frowned. It seemed the pain only became worse lately.

Before long, they reached the front gates of the palace, and everyone gaped at the splendor of it as they entered. Only Link wasn't particularly excited. His first impression involved the corpse of his best friend, and he had been at the palace enough times to know what to expect. So as they entered the courtyard, filled it even, everyone was excited and felt, in a way, that their sacrifices were all worth it. They had entered the gates of heaven, seemingly, and were acknowledged for what they did. Granted, it wasn't heaven, but the closed palace was a mystery where common people were not allowed. People would kill just to walk in these halls. It was said immortals walked here, and it helped that the Royal family was a bloodline passed down by the Triple Goddess themselves.

The sight of Fae flying about more openly than before and Elder watching over them as a giant statue only gave proof to their fantasy.

Link was perhaps the only one, short of the other commanders, who wasn't basking in their reception. He had other concerns, "Den, pass me Soli."

"Uh, sure. What for?" Den Yuu carefully lowered himself and Link picked Solitare off his back.

"You guys enjoy the speech or whatever. Soli needs care."

"You're not going to stay!?" Hei whispered.

"Link... don't. Stay," Solitare said in between pained whimpers. "I'm okay."

Hei tried to scold Link, "Link, you do realize the princess is going to-"

Link shot him a glare and Hei shut his mouth, "And?" Link asked. "It's not a goddess, it's Zelda. I talk with her all the time. I can meet up with her later. She'll understand. Right now Soli needs better care, and Zelda has the best doctors in the country."

Without waiting for an argument, Link carried Solitare into a side passage and into the palace. He knew the palace well enough to know where the palace personal doctor was, and thankfully, he entered to find the doctor unoccupied.

"Link?" The doctor wondered on seeing him. His eyes immediately darted to the girl in his arms. "Oh dear... put him in that bunk."

"Her," Link corrected.

"Her, then? Okay. What is the problem?"

"She is burned, mostly on the back. It's peeling."

Link put her down on the cot, and the doctor gently rolled her over. The doctor rolled up her shirt, and Link blushed furiously before looking away. Some warning might have been nice! He didn't know whether to feel guilty or happy he got a brief eyeful.

Solitare squirmed in pain. The exposure of wind to the burns wasn't any better than her own bloody clothes.

The doctor said, "She will need a change of clothes. Blood stained clothes won't do. Has she been given care already?"

"Yeah, some ointments for the burn and powder for the pain."

"That's... amazingly vague."

"The doctor in Bayou said the ointment was designed for burns, and it did help her. He said the powder was to relieve the pain. It was the good stuff too: it made me incredibly high with barely a lick."

The doctor gave him a judgmental look. Link balked defensively, "What!?"

"You shouldn't make it a habit of 'licking' things you don't know."

"Yeah, well... it helped," Link pouted. He sat down on a bench beside Solitare.

"Yes, I imagine making a patient high relieves the pain. Granted, the doctor in Bayou gave you the correct advice. Putting her into that state would give her a much needed reprieve."

The doctor finished examining her. Rather than put her shirt back on, he removed it entirely and put a blanket on her. "You can look now, Link. Her modesty is intact. Young lady, can you hear me?"

"Yeah," Solitare whispered.

"The care you have been given has helped greatly. The burn will heal in a few more days, but I must be honest with you... patients who have been burned never truly heal. They can still feel the heat at times throughout their entire lives."

"What?" Link gasped. His shock was eclipsed by Solitare's horror.

"W-will it scar?" She dared to ask.

"... Yes, I'm sorry."

"You can't be serious!" Link exclaimed. "I've been burned a bunch of times and I don't feel it anymore!"

"Were you burned through to the muscle?" The doctor questioned and Link shut his mouth. "What she was dealt was a burn through to the muscle. You should both be thankful she can still move at all. There are many kinds of burns. Burns can go through the skin, the muscle, and even to the bone. The final one is lethal. The second is only crippling, and I do feel good about the odds here for her to make a full recovery. So yes, you should be thankful."

Link gulped. Solitare was pale as a ghost.

"Is there anything that can be done?" Link asked.

"You did the best thing. You brought her here," The doctor said. He smiled in comfort. "That's my job. What is your name, young lady?"

"Solitare," She said.

"Solitare, rest. You're safe and in good hands. I'll find you something less... experimental for the pain. It should put you right out."

Link stuck his tongue out the moment the doctor turned his back. He made himself comfortable.

"You don't have to stay," Solitare said.

Link shrugged, "Got nothin' better to do."

"You're in the palace... and you say you have nothing better to do than sit there watching me in pain?" Solitare asked incredulously.

"So long as you stay quiet and don't complicate this, you can stay," The doctor said to Link. "But it would be better for both of you if you left, focused on other things, and let her sleep."

"Fine!" Link sighed. "I swear, it's like everyone thinks it's weird for me to be in here instead of out there, listening to Zelda prattle on and on and-"

The doctor coughed. The door behind Link closed.

"She's right behind me, isn't she?" Link grimaced.

"Sorry, monkey say what?" Zelda said. Her grin was dangerous.

"Shit... I-"

"Don't bother. I know what you meant. I agree, actually. Speeches are long and boring... and it looks like you have better priorities than listening to what we both know is just a formality." Zelda approached and looked down at Solitare. "How is she?"

"I-I've been better," Solitare said. She tried to get up, but Zelda put a hand on her shoulder and gently pressed her back down.

"Don't get up on my account. In here, the doctor is the law and authority, even over me."

Zelda sat down on the next available bench to watch Solitare. Zelda instantly recognized the person was a girl, and she could plainly see the pain she was in. The doctor had given her some pain medicine, so within minutes, she was out cold. It was at this point Link would have left, but he felt very awkward next to Zelda... He had to open his big mouth, and her silence wasn't helping.

"Who is she to you?" Zelda wondered.

"She is a part of my unit," Link replied.

"I see," Zelda nodded. Then, she smiled a bit. "That makes sense, more than I had come here expecting. Sarah said she saw you running through the halls with a girl in your arms, and I had to see. I didn't know whether to expect you to steal a servant for your little dream harem, or if you had a girlfriend suddenly."

"I-we-she! It's not like that!" Link sputtered. "Just because I slept with her once doesn't mean-"

"You what?" Zelda stared at him, deadpan. Her composure darkened very quickly, and Link put his hands up defensively.

"No! I meant in the same tent! We had to share. She mistook my tent for hers, they all look alike, you know, and I was too tired to care. I didn't know she was a girl at the time!"

Zelda narrowed her eyes at him, and Link gulped. He was really not doing well with her. "Well, thankfully for you, you aren't lying," She said. "I guess I'll let you live."

Link gulped and squeaked out, "You wouldn't actually kill me... would you?"

Zelda studied him further, enough to make him sweat. Finally, after making him squirm, she consented, "No, I suppose not. It's not a crime, unfortunately, to fornicate."

"Seriously, it wasn't like that!" Link insisted.

"Sure, sure," Zelda teased him. She dropped the act to grin. "You're off the hook. Relax, I'm just giving you a difficult time," She chuckled. "I missed you. It's nice having you around. You're like a breath of fresh air. Now, why don't we talk elsewhere? The doctor doesn't seem to appreciate us disturbing your friend."

"Uh," Link looked at her, confused by the sudden compliment. Moments like this reminded him she was nobility. Normal people wouldn't feel the need to express good company in such a way, if at all. "Thanks."

They left the doctor's room for his relief.

"Now, Link," Zelda said. "The officer's ceremony will begin soon, and I do insist you don't be late."

"Do I have to? I'd rather just talk with you and- Ow!" Link whined after Zelda flicked him. He put a hand on his forehead.

"Yes, you have to. Don't make me flick you again. We can catch up later, since I wish to talk as well. It has been a year since I've seen you, and I want to hear all about your training and adventures," Zelda answered. She knew the reality where Impa interfered, tried to kill Link, and disturbed the training Zelda wished for him. However, she kept a façade of ignorance because she didn't know of Link's perspective and thoughts on the matter.

Did Link know he was of Shorlin's bloodline? Would he use it against her? Until Zelda knew for certain if Link knew or not, and what his choices would be if he knew, she decided it was best to pretend the talk with Impa never happened. That included the illusion that Link was trained by the Mitagi.

Zelda continued, "But as it is, the officers, commanders, and generals will be assembled shortly for my official statement; you are included. We can talk after."

Zelda called for an escort to bring Link to the throne room. He knew the way from sneaking in before, but it wouldn't do for him to not have an escort inside the castle.

Zelda sighed. She missed Link, but found his presence wasn't as much of a comfort as it was before. Before knowing his heritage, she never had to question a single thing. Now she found that even he was someone to question and watch. It wasn't that Zelda did not trust One-Hundred Man Officer Link, it was that she could not trust Prince Link.