-Link-

Link's triangle flared to life.

"Harken!" Link gasped. His eyes shot open and he lurched up. Immediately his stomach throbbed and he groaned in pain and weakness. Link grasped at his stomach. Against his hands was blood-stained bandages. He was in a tent upon a futon.

"You probably shouldn't move yet, just lie down." A voice said from the side.

"Tou!" Link looked over at Tou. Tou was on a futon next to him. Link leaned over and could plainly see that Tou was wounded. Like him, Tou was wrapped in bandages.

"Tou, what happened?! Did Harken do this to you?"

"Let's not talk of him. I was just dreaming of home..." Tou whispered. "Just thinking about him hurts."

"Tou..." Link gulped. He could see no one else in the tent. "What happened?"

Tou sighed. He explained to Link what happened. Link became silent as he spoke, and he clenched the bedding tightly in his fists. With each death Tou listed, Link felt a stab in his chest.

Finally, when Tou was done explaining, Link started to rise. He said, "I have to go... I can't abandon them!"

"You didn't. They chose this. Besides... we're wounded."

Link touched his stomach. He gulped. "How bad was it?"

"The doctors say you had pieces of your sword lodged in your stomach. My best guess is that you blocked that final blow from Harken... and in blocking it, your sword shattered and pierced you." Link gasped. He body felt numb as realization washed over him and he felt a great loss.

Link didn't remember blocking the attack... it was like Midna personally stepped in and protected him with her body. Even in death, Midna was protecting him. So much so that her sword broke trying to save him.

"Midna..." Link whispered.

"Yeah, you named the sword after her, didn't you? I'm sorry..."

"What about you? You're wounded."

Tou was silent a moment. He had already talked with the doctors and was given his ultimatum. Simply put, he didn't have Link's vitality. "It's fine." Tou lied. "It's not as bad as yours. The doctors pretty much ignored me entirely just to work on you. But right now, let's talk of better things. I don't want to think about it right now."

"Okay." Link acknowledged. He breathed shakily. The last remnant of Midna was shattered, Hei was dead, the rest of the unit was dead, Ganon was consumed by the demon, and Solitare held it off to buy them all time. Link was past the point of tears, he didn't know what to feel, what to think. He was numb. He felt incapable of feeling, like the emotion buried within was so great that his body refused to acknowledge it in order to survive. His body shivered, but he was not cold. Tears threatened to fill his eyes, but none rose. Like a sneeze that refused to come, his body wanted to grieve, but nothing happened.

"Link..." Tou whispered. "You remember when we first met?"

Link smiled, "Heh... yeah. I'm pretty sure Hei was picking a fight with me and I kicked his ass. Then I ended up punching you too, and that fight never was decided. Even after all these years."

"It's because you kept going on and on about becoming a general, that your blood was that of a famous unknown general. And you were only a toddler." Tou smiled in memory as well. "Link... do you think you can really do it? Can you become a general?"

Link looked to him, confused. "Where is this coming from?"

"Obviously for someone like a slave to make it to general is not easy. I think it would be easier to climb the tallest mountain with your hands tied behind your back, and after actually experiencing battles, I can't help but feel it is beyond any of us. Just how many brushes with death do you have to overcome to get there? One mistake and everything will have been for nothing. But... even still, you managed to survive your encounter with Harken, even wound him. Everyone put their lives on the line to protect you, Link. It wasn't an order from you, but they still risked themselves for you. That can't be normal. That loyalty isn't normal in so short a time..."

Tou breathed, and continued, "Which is why, I thought to myself, 'if it's Link, he can definitely do it.' All those famous generals, even Ouki, I be they only made it that far by overcoming many things like this. The strength of everyone... is your strength."

Tou coughed and blood flew from his lips. "Tou! Don't talk!" Link begged him. "You'll hurt yourself!"

Tou closed his eyes. He whispered with a sense of finality, "No... I need to say it. I'm... really glad to be your friend."

"Tou... You... No!"

"You can... definitely... do it."

"Tou!" He was met with silence. Tou was still as a statue and pale as death.

Link threw himself onto Tou and fumbled around, trying to see if putting his hands against the wound would help, but he had no idea what he was doing. "No, please! Don-"

"Just kidding." Tou said.

"What the hell, you shitter! Don't screw with me like that!" Link yelled.

Tou laughed. His voice was stronger. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. I had to. It's not like me to talk so much. It was always you and Hei doing all the talking..." he took a breath. "Link, I'm tired. I'm going to sleep a bit. You should too. You shouldn't be up."

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"You're right." Link sighed. He knew Tou was right. He couldn't hold himself up. He was weak, having lost a great deal of blood. He was also emotionally exhausted. The shock of everything left him winded. "Are you really okay, Tou?"

"Yeah... I'll be better with some sleep. Thanks for worrying, you're a good pal."

"Yeah, yeah." Link muttered. He laid down, closed his eyes, and immediately slept.

Link did not sleep long. Despite his body demanding rest and sleep, his mind was restless. The faces of the dead chased him into his sleep, and he woke. His first thought was to check on Tou, just to be sure. He turned to look at him, and he gasped.

Tou was lying next to him, still as a statue, pale as death, with his eyes slightly open and dim. His chest did not rise.

"Don't screw with me." Link begged. "It ain't gonna work a second time."

Nothing. Link fought against his body. His body demanded stillness and rest, but Link wanted to be there. He needed to be there. Link collapsed with his head on Tou's chest.

"Q-quit being so stubborn, you damn idiot! Get up already."

Nothing.

"Wake up... Tou. The realms is this? You idiot! You can't just carry me all night long and die on me now! Wake up!"

Nothing.

-Later-

Following Tou's death, Link mourned. He wept, he screamed, and finally his mind gave in to bodies demands. He passed out. Link did not wake for the next day. By the doctor's standards, he should be dead, or at the very least stay in bed for a long time. However, they had never met the likes of Link. He recovered enough to be able to stand the next day. He would not be able to fight for some time, but at least he didn't need to be treated like a baby.

Link departed the medical tent and looked out. He was in the midst of the Qin army. Ouki had gathered the entire army in one and they had moved further through the forest. The Zhao army, or what remained, was stationed in the distance.

There were other medical tents around him, and from them Link saw a few familiar faces.

"Kyo Gai!" Link exclaimed. "Den Yuu!"

"Link! You're alive!" Kyo Gai gasped.

Kyo was on a futon of his own, wounded. Den Yuu was, in like manner, in his own futon and wounded.

"How!?" Link fell to his knees by them. "How are you alive? Tou said-"

"I was captured." Kyo Gai explained. "The Zhao saw me giving orders and captured me. Probably figured they could torture me for information. Thought me to be the captain. Fools." He smirked. He motioned to Den. "Den is almost dead, but holding on. He was hit by a dozen arrows, but the Zhao arrows couldn't get past all that blubber." He laughed weakly. He took hold of Link's arm in a mutual grasp. "It's so good to see you. The doctors refused to say if you were alive or dead... they said it was unlikely you would survive with... part of your own sword in your gut."

Link gulped. The thought of Midna's final sacrifice hurt more than the wound did.

Kyo Gai struggled up and leaned against a wooden pole. Link tried to stop him, but Kyo slapped his hands away. "I'm not that wounded, don't baby me." he motioned to another tent. "I saw Solitare carried into there... and Hei as well."

"So they're..." Link felt tears in his eyes. "They're alive?"

"I don't know..." Kyo whispered. "The doctors said it was bad. None of us should be alive, so far as they are concerned, and some of us still might not be by the end of the day. I saw three more of us rescued, but they didn't make it. Den, Solitare, and Hei still not might make it either."

"How- how bad is it?" Link gulped. He didn't want to know, but needed to.

"Already said how Den is. He will not be able to fight anymore and will have to stay back with the wounded. Solitare... I heard whispers of burns. And Hei has part of an arrow stuck in his side. Don't know much else. You're the first one to stand. Just how the realms are you standing!? You should be sleeping for a month! You bled buckets!"

"Yeah well, I ask myself that all the time." Link replied. "Stay here, I'll check in on them."

"Right."

Link stumbled his way to the next tent and peered inside. On one side was Solitare and on the other was Hei. Both were asleep. A doctor was present.

"How are they?" Link asked.

"Y-you shouldn't be up!" The doctor squealed. He rushed over to Link to take him back to bed, but Link shrugged him off.

"Never mind me! How are they? I'll go to bed if you tell me... Please, I just need to know."

The doctor sighed, seeing the teenager wouldn't relent. "Fine." He escorted Link first to Solitare.

"This child suffered burns on her back. It will take a long time for her to recover, she may never fully recover, but I am sure in time that she-"

"SOLITARE'S A GIRL?!" Link exclaimed loud enough to wake the dead.

Or, in this case, Solitare. Solitare groaned, then whimpered painfully.

"Solitare!" Link fell to his knees by her side. Now that he was paying attention, there was a very slight rise in the blanket where her small breasts would be. He just never would have seen it as her Sheikah clothes were ambiguous and her hair was short like a boy. "Are you okay! Does it hurt! Oh-my-Farore! Are you pregnant!? We slept together and-"

"Shut up..." Solitare groaned.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a girl!?"

"You never asked. Who cares..."

The doctor worked to pull Link away. "Enough! She must rest, and you are working her up!"

"Fine fine." Link grumbled, allowing himself to be pulled away. "Hei! You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Hei whispered. He was woken by Link's screaming. Hei raised himself up as best he could, but he could only go so far before collapsing.

"Don't. Don't get up." Link said.

"Yeah, probably the best idea." Hei groaned.

"How bad is it?"

"Not as bad as it looks, apparently. I thought I was done for. Hit by an arrow, and thought it a good idea to just pull it out. But no, whichever bastard it was that decided to invent arrows was a sadist! The arrowhead got stuck in my side and tore me up good; but the doctors saved me."

"That's good." Link breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad."

"How many made it?" Hei asked. "I saw Solitare made it... and what's this about him being a girl?"

"Yeah, I'm playing catch-up as well. Um... Kyo Gai, Den Yuu, you, Solitare, me. Just us five."

"T-tou?" Hei asked. He learned over eagerly and took Link's hand. "Did my brother make it?"

"He-" Link gulped. He looked down in shame. The hope in Hei's eyes was too much, and it quickly disappeared as Link silently conveyed the message.

Link knew what he needed to do. Silently, he rose, and left the tent. He marched to his own tent, leaned down, and picked up Tou. If Tou could bear him, then Link would damn well bear him. He lifted Tou's corpse up on his back, stumbled briefly under the man's weight, then put one foot in front of the other, lifted himself up, and carried Tou out of the tent. The sight of Link carrying the much larger man on his back drew the attention of the other soldiers around. Kyo Gai saw him through the tent flap, and forced himself to rise enough to follow. A few soldiers followed with respectful distance as Link made the slow soldier march.

Link reentered the tent with Solitare and Hei. Solitare and Hei both gasped at what they saw. Hei forced himself to rise enough to sit up. Link lowered Tou's body beside Hei.

"I'm sorry." Link said solemnly.

Hei fell to his knees by Tou's body, silently, numbly staring down at him.

Link felt his heart and insides torn. On one hand Tou and Hei were like the older brothers he never had. They grew up together, worked together, and now fought together. Tou carried him like a baby on his back. Tou died for him.

Even Kyo was sad. The man stood at the tent flap and turned his head with tears in his eyes. Solitare could not move, but Link could see she had tears rolling down her cheeks as well as she stared at the sky.

"I'm sorry..." Link whispered to all of them.

"Why are you apologizing?" Hei asked. "Why are you crying Kyo? Solitare? There is nothing to cry about. He completed his task. Which is why... there's no need for tears."

He put a hand on Tou's face, and tears he held back fell from his shut eyes.

Hei's breath hitched. He chuckled, he cried. He whispered, "You should smile... and praise him. He should be remembered... with pride. He was a strong, protective brother... to the end."