Taken, but Returned

An: Had hoped to get this done before New Year's, and I delivered! I'd like to wish my readers a late Merry Christmas and an early Happy New Year's!

And on this chapter, I just wish to get one thing out of the way: in this story, Link and Zelda are siblings. This is because during planning for the story, my friend Lincoln Time mentioned his theory to me about how they were related, and I liked it enough to use in the story. I'll explain it next chapter because I need to ask him again the full particulars of the theory.

But with that out of the way, please enjoy!

Six

The Dragon of Hyrule

Castle Town, Hyrule kingdom

The capital of Hyrule, Castle Town, was a bustling city. Its streets were always crowded as the citizens went about their days in ease and peace. One such citizen walked leisurely through the packed thoroughfare with trained ease, a large basket in her hands. She was tall and sported long, golden blonde hair that cascaded down her back and shoulders in brilliant curls, and had sun-kissed skin. She was clad in a gold and white dress with well-worn boots covering her feet; and her arms were covered with sleeves belted at her upper arm, but one could make out the dark lines of tattoos peeking out of them. Lilac eyes stared out in front of her as she made her way through the masses.

This was Yang Xiao Long-Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, former bodyguard of Princess Zelda and known by the masses as "The Dragon of Hyrule."

Men, women, and children alike stared after the woman hailed as the strongest woman in Hyrule in reverent awe. Children pointed at her excitedly and attempted to run up to her, in spite of their parents' reprimands. Constant greetings and praises met her as she walked about, people overjoyed at the sight of her.

"Lady Yang! It's good to see you again!"

"Hello again, My lady! Needing any fresh fruit today?!"

"Hey! Yang! It's been a while!"

"Welcome back, Lady Yang! You've been missed!"

The blonde brawler responded in kind, meeting every greeting with a gentle smile and a small wave. It was a stark change to what she would have done years ago. But time and fate changed her. But Yang really couldn't say the changes were bad. As the adventurous Huntress she had been, she was a youthful beauty full of self-assurance and confidence. Now, she had matured in looks, personality, and mind. Where she was once impulsive, she was not patient. Where she had once been gorgeous, she was now beautiful. Her once playful, energetic personality was now tempered by the trials she went through since her arrival in Hyrule.

In short, she was a brand-new person, yet she was still the same woman.

"Ah-ha! Yang! Welcome back to Castle Town!" a vender called out, making the woman laugh lightly as she turned to him.

"Hello, Kossco. How are you today?" she asked brightly, smiling at the man.

"So much better now that you've graced my presence!" he said happily, making the woman laugh again.

"And once again, you old perv, I'm happily married to a wonderful man, and you really couldn't handle a woman like me!" Yang smirked at the man and winked as the man held his heart dramatically.

"Oh! How that young man is truly the luckiest man in all of Hyrule!" he bemoaned. "And once again, I have been done in by my own deficiencies!" Yang giggled quietly, placing a hand over her mouth.

"Defective equipment aside," she went on, ignoring Kossco's further outcries, "what's your catch of the day today, Koss?" Kossco recovered from his dramatics and smiled widely.

"Mainly Hyrulean bass and some reekfish," he answered, making Yang gag.

"Ew. No. One reekfish dish was enough, thank you. I'll take the bass, thanks." Kossco chuckled at that. He went about preparing the fish as he continued his conversation with the blonde before him.

"You're probably the only person I know who can't stomach reekfish, Yang!" he commented, wrapping the fish up in brown paper. "Some would consider you a picky eater because of that!" Yang scoffed at that.

"I lived ten years in a desert. Being picky has nothing to do with my hatred for the taste of reekfish!" she rebutted, taking the packed fish from Kossco. The merchant laughed and nodded to her.

"True enough. That'll be 15 Rupees for the lot!" Yang reached for a pouch on her belt, pulling out two shiny Rupees; one yellow and one blue. She placed them in Kossco's hand, smiling.

"As usual, pleasure doing business with you, Kossco!" she said.

"Don't forget to stop by again, Yang!" Kossco said with a wave. "Maybe I'll be able to grab some better fish for you next time!" Yang laughed as she turned to walk away.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Koss!" she called back, walking away.

Soon after, Yang fell into routine. She'd stop at a vender or shop, talk to the owner or employee manning the counter/booth, buy her supplies, then be off with a smile and a wave. It was a very tranquil task. It allowed the woman time to think and reflect.

Yang thought back to her arrival and subsequent adoption into the Gerudo tribe. Having been de-aged nine years had been a shock to her system, though she doubted anyone would blame her. Going through puberty twice? Not to mention the third time considering her time-hopping escapades with Link?

Sounded like torture.

Despite that though, she couldn't hate the circumstances that caused her de-aging. It had allowed her to meet the man who would become her husband, after all. Link was one of the brightest lights in her second childhood, and the ultimate reason she was still alive in the end. But best of all…He laughed at all her jokes and puns! Nobody, not Ruby, not Weiss or Blake, heck, not even Princess Zelda thought she was funny, but Link did!

That alone put him a branch above everyone else.

Upon reaching the town square, her musings were broken by several childish cries of, "Lady Yang! Lady Yang!" Yang looked up to see several young girls, ranging from 5 to 10, race up to her excitedly with flowers in their hands. They surrounded her, several jittery girls looking up to her joyfully as the cries of "Lady Yang!" continued.

Yang smiled softly at the group and knelt before them. "Well, well," she remarked kindly, "there's a lot of you today!" The girls giggled and squealed in delight as they eagerly handed her the flowers in their hands.

This had become something of a tradition for the former Huntress. Every time she returned to Castle Town for groceries, the young girls of the town would bring her flowers. Then, Yang would ask one of them to accompany her and carry the bouquet the flowers became as she finished her errands. Yang found herself enjoying the company while the girls were keen on asking her all manner of questions about her.

She was never sure how or when this really started, but she didn't have the heart to turn down their little gifts.

As she collected the last flower, Yang stood and smelled the bouquet in her hands. She smiled brightly and asked, "Alright! Now who should I ask to hold this pretty bouquet for me?" The girls began to grow loud as they all screamed for Yang to pick them. Lilac eyes searched through the small group before Yang noticed something behind them. She looked up to see a young girl, about 5 years old, standing behind the group, nervously shaking with her hands behind her back and her head down.

Yang felt a twinge in her heart as she made her way to the child. The crowd around her parted easily enough as they watched their hero make her way towards the girl. Yang came to a stop in front of the child, who looked up at her in shock. Yang gave her a soft smile.

"Well, hello there, little one," she said affectionately. "I suppose you have you want to present me with a flower, as well?" The child stiffened up as her cheeks reddened. Yang waited patiently while the girl warred with herself. Finally, the girl thrust her hands forward, revealing what she was holding. Yang blinked. A dandelion. It looked like part of the seeds were gone, leaving a sizable chunk out of the tiny weed. The girl's trembling worsened, brutally tugging at Yang's heartstrings.

The golden-haired beauty's smile became very gentle. "Aren't you sweet," she cooed and gingerly took the dandelion from the girl's hands. The girl felt her eyes prickle with tears, fearing Lady Yang would throw away her worthless present.

However, she felt her head being tilted up by a tender hand to look into Yang's eyes. Yang closed her eyes and smiled widely, tilting her head slightly. "It's very beautiful, thank you!" The child was unsure what her hero meant until she caught sight of something white in the midst of gold. Her eyes widened when she realized what she was seeing: a partially ruined dandelion weaved expertly into a blonde curl.

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as Yang stood and held out her bouquet to the girl. "Would you like to hold these until I finish my shopping?" she asked kindly. The girl startled back to reality, blinking at the woman before her before nodding hastily.

"Y-Yes!" she stammered loudly. The former bodyguard chuckled and handed her the flowers. The child held them carefully between her fingers, examining them for a moment before turning back to Yang.

The Gerudo warrior smiled at her and asked, "You ready to go?" The girl nodded hesitantly, and Yang nodded. "Alright then. Come along!" She began walking as she asked, "So, little one, what's your name?"

"N-Nyssa!" the girl said.

"Well, it's 'nyssa' to meet ya, Nyssa!" Yang grinned gleefully as Nyssa giggled at the pun. That was so cute!

Baring Link, it was nice to know she could count on the kids of Castle Town to laugh at her puns.

With that, the two settled into a nice little niche as they continued through the open market of Castle Town. Nyssa would hesitantly ask Yang a question while the blonde was buying something, and Yang would answer with a smile and a pun right behind it, making the girl giggle. It was nice, but the child looked unsure of something. Yang was already positive she knew what the problem was. She grinned mischievously and turned her head to Nyssa.

"So," Yang commented airily, causing Nyssa to turn back to her, "I bet you're wondering why I kept your little dandelion, right?" Nyssa balked at that.

"Y-Y-M-Maybe a little," she admitted, making Yang giggle.

"Tell me, why did you choose a dandelion?" she asked.

Nyssa turned red and didn't answer for a moment. "…I…I meant to give you a rose…" she admitted finally. Yang almost stopped walking at that. She turned to look at Nyssa, her full attention on the girl.

"B-But by the time I got to the garden, all the flowers were gone," she mumbled. "I…I didn't want to be the only one without a flower, s-so I went out of the town gates to find one."

"You know that's dangerous for children, right?" Yang asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm careful!" Nyssa protested, looking frantic at the thought of disappointing her hero. "I'm small! Monsters can't find me if I don't wanna be found!" Yang frowned at that. The only gate that had monsters almost right outside the walls was the south gate, and they were typically Lizalfos. Given their heightened scenes and ability to sense heat, by all respects, Nyssa should normally have been in serious danger.

Yet, she hadn't been. And going off what Nyssa said, Yang suspected the girl at her side might have some serious magical ability to help her slip around the Lizalfos. Hmm…She'd have to take note of that for later.

"So, I went the look-out point," she continued, oblivious to Yang's musings. "The big tall rock outside of town, you know? I-It's has the prettiest roses blooming around it!"

"And a rather nasty nest of hornets at the top," Yang said flatly. Nyssa winced.

"Y-Yeah…I-I got stung a lot…But it's all good! They don't hurt as bad anymore!"

"Even still, I'd feel more comfortable getting a healer look at you," Yang told her, making Nyssa huff.

"The healer's mean!" she protested childishly. "He looks at me funny and complains when I don't have enough Rupees!'" Yang's face darkened slightly.

"Is that so?" she muttered darkly before she shook her head. "But we're getting off track! You went for a rose, correct?"

"Yeah!" Nyssa's bright face dimmed as she continued, "but after the hornets, a monster found me and I lost my rose…" She suddenly developed an interest in her sandals. "I…I just didn't wanna to be the one girl who didn't have a flower for you, b-but I was running out of time and I grabbed the first thing that I found!

"I-I almost lost it once, a-and I thought you'd throw it away because it was almost ruined…" Nyssa trembled slightly as she said this, making Yang sigh.

"Yet, you still gave it to me," she remarked. "Why?" she asked curiously. Nyssa was silent. Yang waited patiently for the girl to answer.

Finally, Nyssa muttered out, "I…I didn't want all my hard work to go to waste…"

"And that's one reason I kept it," Yang explained, making Nyssa turn to her. "I had a hunch you had worked pretty hard to get the dandelion, and I was right, huh?" She gave Nyssa a meaningful look, who looked ashamed. "But it was more than that. You went above and beyond what the other girls did. I happen to apricate that." Nyssa looked up at Yang in shock. Yang smiled and stopped walking to kneel in front of the child.

"There's a saying," Yang told her, "that says, 'Hard work pays off.'" She ran a hand through Nyssa's auburn hair. "And after hearing just how hard you worked, I'd say it's safe to say it certainly has, hasn't it?"

Nyssa teared up a bit, but before she could respond, they heard a racket coming from the square. Yang looked up in confusion. "Huh? It's a little early for a festival, isn't it?" She stood quickly and motioned for Nyssa to follow. The young girl nodded and hurried after Yang.

The blonde heroine made it to the square to see a large crowd, several onlookers were yelling indignantly and many others were crying out at some sort of commotion. Yang quickly pushed through the throughs of people to get a good view of what was going on. What she saw, however, pissed her off.

"Gah!" a heavily armored knight cried as he fell to the ground, revealing a golden skinned teen with fiery red hair who had been standing before him. She held her left shoulder in pain as she glared up at a man on horseback. The man was dressed like a stereotypical snobbish prince with a frilly red suit and a pompadour. He sneered down at the shabbily dressed teen in disdain.

"How utterly disappointing," he drawled. "My kingdom's knights, trained to the very definition of perfection, defeated by a mere street rat with skills only a smidge better than a drunken bar patron!"

"Maybe your knights' training is crap then!" the girl hissed.

"Stay silent, insolent whelp!" he shouted and cracked his whip near the girl. She tensed but didn't back down. The crowd was in an uproar over this.

"Monster!"

"Leave the girl be!"

"Someone get this brat out of the way! This is unbecoming of our grand kingdom!"

"Show that street rat her place!"

"Aw jeez! That's Prince Ferdinand Yardenshire!"

"One of Yardenshire's crowned princes?! What's he doing in Hyrule?!"

"I thought noblemen of the Yardenshire Kingdom were supposed to be kind, honorable men! Hmph! Seems the gossip mills have struck again!"

"How dare you break our princess's laws cur!"

"Someone arrest this man!"

"It would seem I must deal with you myself," the man sighed dramatically. He readied his whip and sneered. "It's time you learn your place, street rat!"

"Bring it pompous windbag!" the girl shouted.

"Insolent…!" Ferdinand raised his whip high, and the girl prepared herself. However, the man was suddenly thrown off his horse. He yelped girlishly as he landed hard on his backside. Gasps filled the square while the girl was startled out of her readied stance, blinking in confusion.

"What do you think you're doing?" came a deceptively calm voice from Yang as she walked around the man's horse. The tip of the whip was wrapped tightly around her wrist and held securely in her clinched fist. The crowd was in shock. Nyssa gasped in shock, looking from Yang to her side, only to see a basket set next to her.

"H-Huh? W-What…?" the girl mumbled as Yang came to a stop in front of her.

"Stand down, little vai," Yang told her. "I'll take care of this blowhard."

This seemed to angered the teen. "Screw you! I was here first, you old hag!" Yang's eye twitched.

"It wasn't open for discussion, little vai," she said sternly as the crowd finally caught up with their shock.

"Lady Yang!"

"Oh, thank goodness! Now order can be restored!"

"Be careful, my Lady!"

"Why would Lady Yang defend this brat?!"

"Sir, you don't know very much about Lady Yang if you think she would stand around and let this crap stand…"

Ferdinand finally righted himself and turned to glare at the warrior woman. "How dare you, woman! What do you think you're doing?!"

"I could ask you the same question," Yang responded calmly. "As a foreign dignitary, I'm sure you are aware Hyruliean policy dictates you are forbidden from lifting a hand against a citizen of our kingdom unless previously provoked."

The prince, to his credit, tried to save face. He adopted a fairly chastened face and said, "Ah yes! I completely forgot about that law! Forgive me! But I wish to say in my defense, that the child attacked my garrison and I first!"

"You liar!" the girl screeched. She tried to run at him, first raised, but Yang stalled her. She tried to pass the older woman, but Yang's hold was strong. Instead, the girl looked up at the man and screamed, "You sent your goons after me when I was minding my own business and passed by you without bowing to you like you're the princess!"

Ferdinand scoffed. "Miss, who will you believe: me, an honorable prince of Yardenshire? Or her, a lowly street rat?"

This had the populace roaring in anger, but Yang held firm. "Considering the people are against you, I'm going with the girl," she told him. This seemed to displease the prince.

"Be reasonable, miss," he tried again, discreetly seeing his guardsmen recovering. He adopted a contrite look and continued, "I'm sure we can…"

"Impudent witch!" one of the Yardenshire knights shouted as he jumped at Yang. The blonde warrior responded by swinging her pilfered whip around and tying up one of the knight's legs. With strength borne from years of rigorous training, the former Huntress swung her captured knight at the ground and slammed him hard against the unforgiving stone, knocking the wind out of him.

More knights began recovering and noticed the commotion. Seeing their brother-in-arms in trouble, they charged Yang. The blonde brawler responded by swinging her captured knight again, swinging the poor man around at one knight's legs, tripping the soldier. Twirling, she whacked another knight in the head before spinning and sending her man-sized counterweight at the torso of another, knocking the knight into the air and into the crowd. She downed two more knights by taking out their knees before swinging her captured knight towards her. She proceeded to kick the man in the chin, freeing him from the whip and sending him into the prince's horse.

"You-!" another knight screamed, coming up behind Yang, but the former bodyguard sent her elbow into his steel-clad stomach, denting his armor and knocking the wind out of him. "You bi-!" She once again interrupted him by swinging her arm down, and denting the armor around his crotch inward. "Ugh!" The men in the crowd winced and cried out in sympathy. The redhead blinked and hummed in appreciation.

"Huh…hag's got skills," she mused.

Yang swung her arm up and hit the knight in the face, knocking him out. Settling her face into an emotionless mask, she turned to Ferdinand and said, "That was pathetic." The prince's face was pale, terrified at the skill the woman before him possessed. "Now then…"

"HALT!" a new voice shouted. Everyone turned to see the Hyruliean knights arriving. Yang sighed and dropped the pilfered whip as the civilians began cheering at the knights' arrival. Ferdinand sighed as well before smirking to himself, thinking he could play this off and get the brat and the wench arrested. But before he could speak, the lead knight walked up and saw Yang. He sighed heavily. "Hey, Yang," he called out, shocking the prince of Yardenshire.

"Hey, Corvus," she greeted back.

"Rough day, I take it?"

"Something like that, yeah."

Corvus regarded her and the prince on the ground. Finally, he sighed. "Is the situation resolved now?"

Yang shrugged. "Yeah, sure, why not."

Corvus nodded. "Very well. You have a pleasant day, Yang."

Ferdinand's eyes widened. "N-Now wait just a-!"

"Sure. You as well." With that, Yang turned and grabbed the redheaded girl's shoulder and gently pushed her forward. The girl protested, but Yang was insistent. Ferdinand turned to Corvus and snarled.

"What was that?!" he screeched at the knight. "You're just letting her go?!"

"Young prince Yardenshire," Corvus said with a sigh. "We are not here for her; she'll be dealt with by someone else. We came for you." He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Yang was already heading down a side street with two kids. He sighed.

Why did the princess give him the hard job of dealing with the Yardenshire prince?

"Ow! Let go hag!"

"Look, little vai, I'm trying to be nice here! Just trust me and move forward!" Yang commented in exhaustion. She liked to believe she'd reigned in her infamous temper, but this little redhead was proving her wrong.

"Stop calling me that!" the girl shouted. "My name is Valerie!"

"Very well, Valerie, but I must insist you come with me," Yang continued.

"I'm not going anywhere with a hag with ugly blonde hair!"

"What did you say?!" the blonde asked hotly.

"I mean, compared to the princess's, your yellow mane is so dry, and dirty, and…dull!"

"Why you little…!"

"You still have a short temper where your hair's concerned, huh Yang?" a voice asked with a giggle. The two girls stiffened in recognition while Yang felt her anger fade, replaced with weariness.

"Hey, Zelda," she said softly, turning to see the ever-beautiful Zelda Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, princess of Hyrule, standing behind her with a small playful smile on her face.

Nyssa and Valerie gasped in shock at the princess, absentmindedly trying to make themselves look presentable. Yang just sighed, her face morphing into a blank stare and turned to leave. Zelda's smile dropped and her expression turned mournful.

"Yang wait," she called out. Yang stopped, but she didn't turn around. "Please," she continued, "just hear me out." Yang sighed again and made a small motion with her hand, making the blonde-haired princess smile a little brighter. Yang knew what the princess was going to ask. It was the same thing she asked every time Yang returned to Castle Town.

"I know that we…didn't part on pleasant terms last time," she began uncertainly. "And you know I not here to beg for your forgiveness for what I've done back then." The girls were confused by what the princess was saying, but Yang's hands tightened into fists. "But, if it's ok to ask again…I wanted to know if you would return as my bodyguard." Nyssa gasped, turning between Yang and Zelda in wonder as Valerie balked.

"Wait! Wait! WAIT!" the redheaded teen shouted, swinging her arms in front of her. "You mean to tell me this prissy blonde thing is Yang Xiao Long?! THE Yang Xiao Long?! The danged Dragon of Hyrule and the Flame of Din Yang?! THAT Yang?!" Zelda giggled into her hand.

"That she is!" Zelda said smiling. "She…" She sighed sadly. "She used to be my best friend."

"NO WAY!" Valerie screamed.

"Y-You want Lady Yang back in the palace, P-Princess?" Nyssa said in amazement. Zelda smiled charmingly at the younger girl and knelt to stare into Nyssa's eyes.

"That's what I am wishing for, little one," she said. Nyssa practically glowed in glee.

"L-Lady Yang! The princess wants you in the castle! Isn't that…great?" she asked her hero excitedly, only to fall off in hesitation at seeing Yang staring at the ground, a myriad of emotions playing across her face.

"Huh?" Valerie looked to Yang and frowned. "Why is she not talking?"

"Don't think too much on it, girls," Zelda sighed. "This…conversation is not easy on either of us."

"Ain't much of a conversation, if you ask me," Valerie huffed.

"Maybe not," Zelda agreed. "But nevertheless, this is something I feel I have to do." Turning back to Yang, she said, "I know I'm asking a lot, Yang. But I must ask, please consider it. It's been seven years since that disagreement, and I wish to bury that part of our pasts for good. I would feel much better having a true friend by my side again." She shifted uncomfortably for a moment. "And having it be you would be far better. After all, we are family." Yang's shoulders sagged at that.

"…I really should be getting home," she said after a moment of silence. "Link should be home sometime today or tomorrow." Zelda's expression broke.

"Yang…"

"You really should take these girls to the palace with you," she commented, walking over to take her bouquet from Nyssa, who looked at Yang in shock. Whether it was because of what Yang had said about her and Valerie or what she said to Zelda, Yang wasn't sure. "Nyssa seems to have a knack for magic, and Valerie was tough enough to beat most of that Yardenshire prince's knights. They have a promising future in your court."

"Yang…"

"And for the love of Lanayru, please do something about that stupid doctor! If I have to hear about another orphan scared to talk to that man or how he tries to turn them away, he's getting a visit from me!"

"Yang...!"

"Do that," she continued in a softer tone, "and…I'll…" She huffed. "I'll…consider your offer…" she mumbled as she turned to walk away. Zelda's eyes widened in shock, but she recovered quickly and smiled happily.

"That's a lot better than what I was hoping for!" she admitted. "Thank you, Yang!" Yang sighed and waved her hand behind her. Zelda's smile didn't falter in the slightest. "And don't worry about the incident with Yardenshire! I was watching the whole thing, and he won't much like me when I finally get the chance to tear into him!"

That had Yang snorting, and the punster in her couldn't help but reply, "Well, you never did let anyone have a 'biting' chance against you!"

"Save your pitiful puns for my brother! Nayru knows he loves them!"

Nyssa was confused. "B-But Lady Yang's puns are funny!"

"Yeah, I thought that one was pretty good!" Valerie commented, making the brawler giggle in delight as she continued her trek. Zelda sighed.

"It would seem that I will have set up a class for you two about how Yang's puns are not funny atop of your other classes," she said tiredly. The two girls blinked.

"Huh?" they asked in unison. Zelda looked at them and smiled.

"Well, Yang thinks you two will be great as a mage and knight, respectively; and I trust her judgement!" Zelda explained. "So! As of tomorrow, you two will be official trainees for the Hyruliean Mage Court and Knight Order!" Nyssa's and Valerie's eyes widened at that. "Now come along, girls!" Zelda called out as she proceeded to walk down an alleyway. "There's a doctor who needs to learn a bit of tact, 'else he learns the true meaning behind, 'Never tickle a sleeping dragon!'"

Yang made it to the stables and quickly found her trusted stead. "Hey, boy," she said affectionately to the black stallion with a golden mane and tail as she petted his neck. He had been an oddity, born not only the smallest, but his colored mane drew quick attention from the Gerudo. When she became a full member of the Gerudo tribe, Ganondorf had gifted the horse to her to care for and train.

The Gerudo King was a monster, she wouldn't deny it, but he did at least treat members of his tribe with amazing gifts.

The stallion exhaled loudly, shaking his large head at her. She smiled softly. "Yeah, I know," she said. "We're heading out now. Think you can get us home before dark?"

The horse brayed loudly, as if asking, "Who do you think you're talking too?!" She laughed. "Of course! Of course!" She said, placing her purchases in her saddlebag and mounting the stallion. "Let's go, Rondo!" She kicked Rondo's sides lightly, spurring him to run on. The black stallion whinnied loudly and propelled himself forward. The pair made their way out of Castle Town at a breakneck pace, not once stopping as they raced through the vibrant meadows and majestic landscapes of Hyrule. Yang had seen them all enough.

Soon enough, just as the sun was reaching the horizon, Yang and Rondo reached their home. It was the tree that Link once lived in when he was among the Kokriri. The forest dwellers had long since abandoned their old village upon the Great Deku Tree's death, but Link felt he owed the Kokriri too much to let the village go to waste. So, he and Yang settled down in its ruins.

Soon after them, more Hyrulieans, most displaced by the civil war, followed suit, and the village grew until it was lived in again. The new residents renamed the village Ordon, after the light spirit Ordonna who protected the area.

Rondo stopped just outside of a small shack made for him and Link's beloved stead, Epona, and Yang dismounted. She petted Rondo for a moment before removing her supplies from Rondo's saddlebags. "Night, boy," she said soothingly; Rondo neighed. She smiled softly as she jumped high to reach the house's deck.

She landed on the railing softly. Jumping off the railing, she walked inside the house. The once single room living space was now made larger via magic and the continued growth of the tree. Yang simply walked to the kitchen and placed her groceries on the kitchen table and absentmindedly placed her bouquet in a vase in the niche of the window.

She sighed tiredly as she ran her fingers through her hair, but she stopped when she felt the dandelion. She smiled softly and gingerly took it out of her hair. After winding the seedling carefully around another flower, she put her groceries away and went to the bathroom.

Thank Zelda's mages they recreated some of the modern amenities Yang mentioned to the princess off handedly.

She turned on the water of the bathtub as she undressed. Finishing that task, she set herself down in the relaxing, warm water. She sighed as the water hit her tense muscles. She didn't move for a minute as she simply soaked.

When she felt she had rested enough, she proceeded to wash herself. As she began washing her hair, she noticed her eyes were stinging. She cleaned her hand of shampoo and rubbed her eyes, but the stinging became a burning. Irritated, she tried to open her eyes, only to see red. She frowned and splashed some water in her face. She opened her eyes again, but she gasped in horror at seeing nothing but a sea of red around her! Her eyes widened when she noticed the water wasn't water…it was blood!

She sloshed through the sea of blood only to bump into something. She looked down and gasped again. "It's your fault!" the Gerudo sentry hissed, one arm completely cut off. Yang shook her head in denial and tried to get away, only for a hand to grab her leg. She tried to jerk away, but the grip jerked her back, forcing her to look down at her captor. Yang cried out in anguish at the sight of Aviel, the Gerudo who trained her in the ways of the tribe, her neck flayed opened.

"You killed us, traitor!" Aviel snarled, pulling the blonde closer.

Yang struggled against her, but more and more dead Gerudo swam around her and held her in place. She tried to move, but the multitude of Gerudo held her in place, dragging her further and further into the blood see. The former Huntress tried to fight her way out, but more Gerudo jumped out of the blood and grabbed her arms. She screamed again as she was tugged further down.

"W-Why…?" a new voice whimpered out, and Yang turned to it. She gasped in utter horror at the sight of the girl she met, Valerie, tied to a stake as it burned. "W-Why is this happening to me…? W-What did I do wrong…?!"

Yang's eyes burned with tears as a new sound reverberated in her ears. A sound she'd never forget. The sound of HIS laughter.

"Ha…ha…ha…ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!" A strong hand landed on her shoulder, making her turn to look up at HIM. His poisonous green skin stretched out in a dark leer as he leaned down to her ear and said, "This…is your kingdom now, Yang. I do hope you enjoy it! Savor your punishment!"

With that, he pushed her further into the sea of blood, submerging her completely. She struggled to hold her breath, but it was useless. She began coughing, trying desperately to breathe, but it only allowed more blood to fill her lungs as she sank deeper into the red abyss…

Yang reemerged out of the water with a loud gasp of air, spluttering as she coughed up mouthfuls of water. She tried to rub the soap from her eyes and was mildly successful in removing the suds. She spat out more soapy water and tried to open her eyes. She was in her bathtub. At her home. She sighed in relief.

"Ugh…Haven't had that one in a while," she muttered. "Perhaps taking up Zelda on her offer is a good idea." She turned her gaze down at the water. It was lukewarm now. She sighed. "Maybe then I can try and get the court healers to create some sort of medication that prevents PTSD flashbacks or something."

With that, she stood and took the stopper out of the tub. She dried herself and dressed in a loose tunic and pants while wrapping her hair in a towel. She yawned as she walked out of the bathroom. The room was dark, so she called upon her magic and expelled it, activating the magic crystals around the room. The bedroom lit up brightly, making Yang smile, all the good memories she had with Link emerging in her mind. She sighed happily.

She turned to walk back to the kitchen, but her eyes caught sight of two golden bracelets on a shelf. Unbidden, she walked over to her beloved weapons and touched the cooled metal. She ran a trained eye over Ember Celica, noting every red mark crisscrossing the golden surfaces, a first futile attempt to cover up the major damage it had received during the Schnee mine incident. She closed her eyes and sighed gloomily.

"Miss you, girls," she whispered, as if Ruby, Weiss, and Blake could hear her. She knew they couldn't, but it gave her a sense of peace.

She didn't reminisce for long, however. She turned from her weapons and continued onto the kitchen. She retrieved the fish from her fridge and began preparing her dinner. She kept on task, her focus not wavering an inch as she continued preparing the fish for cooking.

After she finished her task, she sat down and ate her portion of the meal, saving the rest for Link. She began walking through her home, locking doors and turning lights off. She finished the task and headed back to her bathroom to finish her nightly activities.

She finished the task with a loud yawn and proceeded to return to her bedroom. She turned the lights off and settled into bed. With a content sigh, she drifted off into dreamland.

She dreamt of fire.

She remembered standing stoically in the entrance of the Fire Temple, waiting for her prey to show up. Her master said he'd arrive at some point, so she didn't stray from her directive. It was her mission, after all. It was her fate; to follow the whims of her master…

Footsteps turned her attention to the entrance. Her head snapped up to see a blonde Hylian in a red tunic walk into the fiery shrine. This was her target, for sure. Who else would be entering such a dreary place as this?

However, his face is what she focused on. Darkness swirled in her mind as she took in the familiar features of the so-called "Hero." Anger pooled in her gut, urging her to action. She was all too eager to indulge in her wrath.

The "hero" looked up and saw her, surprise etching his features as she methodically stalked towards him, eyes blazing like the flames around her.

He had gotten stronger.

The fact ricocheted around in her mind as she fired Goron-sized fireballs at the Hylian, keeping him at a distance. The flames had already taken most of village, and the windmill was nonexistent at this point. Villagers raced around in a panic, further adding to the wrath coursing through her veins.

"Yang! Stop this!" HE shouted. HE found an opening and rushed her. Silently, she rushed HIM back and swung at HIM with a wide right hook. Her fist landed hard on HIS Hylian Shield, forcing HIM back slightly, but HE pushed back with equal strength. She backpedaled and returned with a devastating three hit combo, made even more destructive by a trail of exploding flames.

All were met by the unbreakable shield. "Yang!" HE tried again, but HIS voice only caused her anger to flare hotter. A sneer broke across her face as she vanished and reappeared behind HIM, ready to break HIS spine.

However, HE proved to be faster, as HE turned and met her fist with the back of HIS blade, the Master Sword. Her face darkened more as she began punching more erratically. Her attacks grew sloppier and sloppier with each swing, but she didn't care. With each deflection, her rage increased.

He was far better than he was in the Fire Temple. Before his swings were little better than a child swinging a wooden training sword. Now, he was closing in on her master's level of swordplay. It was an unthinkable jump in skill. However, that might be because of the Hero's past lives, but it did little to soothe the brawler.

"Yang! Please!" HE tried again. "Can't we talk this out?! Why are you trying to kill me?!" The sneer on her face worsened as she performed the action that would forever cement her as 'The Dragon of Hyrule.' She breathed in a large amount of air and released it with a loud roar, igniting it with magic as it left her mouth. The resulting flames sailed towards the shocked Hylian, who scrambled to get out of the way. The wall of fire reached a house, which utterly shattered under the pressure of the fire breath. The remains of the home caught fire easily, and Yang snorted in fury, flames bellowing out of the sides of her mouth as she did so.

She turned to see HIM attempting to catch HIS breath. She spat fire again and began marching towards HIM when the Shekiah appeared next to the Hero. She ground her teeth together. Why her master doesn't just end the miserable spy, she'd never know.

"Link! It's a lost cause! Fall back!" the last of the Royal family's guard cried as he grabbed the Hero's arm.

HE shook off the Shekiah. "No!" HE shouted back. "I've got to stop her! She's my friend Sheik!"

White hot rage bubbled under her skin at the comment. It infuriated her so much, she felt slight laughter erupt from her lips. The two warriors turned to her in shock. Their shock increased, however, when Yang spoke in a cold, rough tone:

"Friend?" Her laughter increased slightly. "YOUR friend…?" Link was confused as Yang's laughter grew louder and louder.

"Uh…Yang…" HE tried again, but Yang wasn't having it.

"WHAT A JOKE!" she roared and slammed her fists into the ground, sending flames and rocks into the sky in a large eruption of fire.

The pain was unbearable.

Her master was not happy with her failures. He had trained her to combat the Hero, yet she could not best HIM. No matter what she did, it ended the same. The punishments she had to endure were nothing short of agonizing. That was why she was here at the oasis.

This…was her last chance.

She fought back a pained wince as she observed Link and Sheik as the last Royal Guard taught the Hero the magic song that would return him to the oasis. She gritted her teeth against the pain as the Sheikah left, leaving the Hero all alone. She tensed, preparing to attack as the Hero walked towards the scared temple.

When HE reached the entrance, she struck with a loud yell. Link looked up in time to see a gold streak land hard on HIS shoulders. The two rolled back into the sand as Yang ended up on top and grabbed his neck and squeezed hard. "You aren't going to win this time HERO!" she screamed, eyes brimming with madness. "Now hurry up and DIE!"

Link didn't, however, instead, he punched her neck, briefly cutting off her air supply and making her grip on HIS neck slack. Link quickly removed her hands and grabbed her, before rolling them around until HE had Yang locked up in his arms.

"Yang! Stop trying to kill me and let me explain!" Link hissed into her ear, but the blonde wasn't having it.

"Explain?!" she screamed in indignation. Her struggling increased as she threw herself back to the ground, taking Link with her. The Hero, however, was not one to be denied easily, and rolled with her. "There's nothing to explain! Lord Ganondorf told me everything I need to know!"

"Ganondorf lied to you Yang!"

"NO! I won't listen to YOUR lies HERO!" Her struggling increased, making it hard for Link to keep his hold on her.

"Yang you need to wake up!" Link shouted again. "Yang! Yang!"

"Yang! Yang! Wake up!"

Yang's eye opened as a loud gasp escaped her lips. She bolted up in the bed and began breathing erratically. Immediately, she felt hands on her shoulders. "Yang! It's ok! Just take a deep breath," the voice ordered gently. Yang obeyed and took a very deep breath. "Now breath out," he continued.

She breathed out. She took a moment to settle her breathing before she turned and hugged the man beside her. "Thanks, Link," she whispered into his shoulder. Link Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, the Hero of time and Yang's husband, simply smiled and held her close.

"No problem, Yang," he told her, rubbing her back to calm her. She smiled softly as she held him a little tighter. "Which one was it?" he asked after a moment. She sighed. She didn't answer for a moment, but Link didn't rush her. Finally, she spoke in a quiet voice.

"…When I first met you again at the Fire Temple," she answered. Link sighed and was about to say something, but Yang continued, "Then Kakariko. Then…the oasis…" Link's arms tightened around her.

"You know it wasn't all your fault, Yang," he said. "You were cursed."

"So, you keep reminding me," she mumbled, pulling back enough to stare into his eyes. "It's not easy to forget, though."

"I know," Link sighed. He removed on his arms from her back and went to her stomach. "Just like it's not easy to forget what I've done, either…"

She released a sigh as well. "Link," she said softly, "you do realize you didn't kill me back then, right? I was still alive."

"Yang," he said with a tone, "the curse was only broken by death. The fact that you're too stubborn to stay dead is the only reason you created that paradox."

"Oh no! YOU created the paradox by bringing my past self to the future, Link Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule!" she contradicted, pointing at him indignantly. "I was the one who FIXED it!"

Link laughed at that. "It's still your fault, Yang Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule!" he told her, using her full married name to vex her. It worked, as her face scrunched up. "If you're weren't so captivating and stole the heart of an innocent child, I wouldn't have felt the need to bring your younger self to the temple to try and save you!"

"You can't use the innocent child excuse anymore! You've aged up the right way in this timeline!"

"But in that timeline, I didn't!" he rebuffed cheerfully. "Besides, you stole my heart long before I actually traveled to the future," he told her gently. She blushed a little at that.

"Well, I was good at stealing hearts back then," she mumbled, before smiling. "Your heart was the first thing I stole as a Gerudo!"

"You sound so proud of that," the Hero said with an eye roll.

"Why wouldn't I be? That was what 'linked' us together, after all!" She grinned brightly as Link laughed at her pun.

"Alright then, master thief!" he said teasingly. "I yield! For now. I'll get you next time!" Yang smirked challengingly.

"Sure, you will, sweetheart!" she cooed back, just as teasingly. The two shared a laugh at that.

With that, the two retreated to the kitchen so Link could eat something. The two spent the rest of the night talking, Link telling Yang about his travels and Yang catching him up on what was new in her life.

"…and then the guy starts monologuing!" Link laughed. "It might have sounded terrifying if he wasn't already on his knees with a broken sword arm!" Yang giggled.

"What did you do?" she asked.

"What do you think? I gave him an exasperated look and kicked him off the cliff!"

"That's evil!"

"Oh! The old fart lived! Kept complaining he broke his legs in the fall!" Yang giggled at that while Link grinned. "What about you, Yang? I heard you had a pretty eventful day at Castle Town today."

That shut Yang up. She sighed tiredly. "It was nothing," she dismissed. "Just some Yardenshire prince attacking an orphan; I just happened to pass by and thought him some manners." Link grimaced at that.

"Yardenshire? Why would William do that?" he questioned.

"Hm? No. This one's name was Ferdinand," Yang told him.

"Oh, that idiot," Link groaned. Then he blinked. "Wait. Fergy is in Hyrule right now?"

Yang burst into giggles. "F-Fergy!" she chortled. "You called him Fergy…!"

"It's your fault," Link deadpanned. Yang dissolved into more giggling, seemingly happy at her corruption of the great hero. "Anyways! That's not what I was talking about! I was talking about how got two new initiates for the Mage council and knight order." Yang stopped laughing and smiled.

"Ah. Those two. Yeah. I met those two today, actually," she explained. "Nyssa tried to get me a rose from outside Castle Town's walls."

"Did she succeed?" Link asked, a little worried the girl might have gotten hurt.

Yang shook her head. "No. She got stung by some hornets and lost the rose running away from a Lizalfos. But she mentioned she couldn't be found if she didn't want to, and I suspected she had a high affinity for magic if she can sneak around those bothersome lizards."

"True. Even if most are dumber than a Deku Baba, Lizalfos are practically immune to magic," Link mused.

"And the other girl, Valerie, took out most of...Fergy's…knights with little effort," Yang continued, snickering at the insulting name for the haughty prince.

Link looked impressed. "That's impressive! Yardenshire's knights are second only to Hyrule's!"

"It's not so surprising," Yang told him, suddenly quiet. "She's…" Yang sighed. "She's one of the Gerudo orphans…" Suddenly, Link's face fell.

"Oh." He frowned, unsure of what to say next. Yang saw this, and smiled at him.

"It's fine, Link," she reassured, reaching across the table to grab his hand. She gave him a confident smile. "Just knowing she's doing fine's enough for me."

The Hero of Time looked unsure. "You sure? Because…"

"Link," the blonde brawler said softly. Link sighed in defeat.

"Fine." He looked to her and smiled. "I also heard something interesting: how you told Zelda you'd consider her offer of returning as her bodyguard."

Yang winced at that. "…What about it?"

"I think you should do it."

"Of course, you do."

"Yang, you thrive on action."

"You don't get much action as a bodyguard."

"You know what I mean."

"I do," she sighed. "But it's not easy."

"When is anything easy?" Link countered. "But you wouldn't be Yang Xiao Long if you took the easy route."

"I've done it for seven years, and it's been doing me fine."

"Oh really? Tell me Yang, honestly, do you like playing the doting housewife?" The Dragon of Hyrule glared at her husband. However, her glare lost its heat as she looked down at her hands.

"I actually find that I do," she admitted. "It's nice. Living a peaceful life. I never thought I'd enjoy something like that. Living such a basic lifestyle." She grew quiet for a moment. "But…I guess having literally lived three lifetimes, I was deserving of a vacation."

"But…" she continued hesitantly. "I have found myself missing my old life too. The thrill. The rush of not knowing what the next day brings. Whether its going to be a boring, lackluster day or it's some would-be assassin's trying to kill Zelda kind of day."

"Is that why you told Zelda you'd consider her offer?" Link prompted.

"Sort of. It was her mentioning we were family," Yang answered. "You and Zelda are the only family I've got right now. And knowing I've been causing pain to either of you has never been easy to deal with. I guess the pain finally got to me."

"And Valerie being Gerudo didn't happen to sway you?" he asked. Yang chuckled a bit.

"Maybe," she commented. She yawned. "But as it stands, I'm not going to make such decisions tonight." Link sighed in tiredness as well.

"Yeah, but Yang, please, consider it," he suggested. Yang gave him a small smile as she stood from the table and walked over to him. He stood to meet her, and she wrapped him in a hug.

"I am," she assured him. He smiled and hugged her back.

Yang: Hey guys! Yang here with the preview of the next chapter of Taken, but Returned!

[Scene shows Weiss researching the Elder Scroll before panning to Ruby at her son's birthday party]

Yang: Soo, now that you've seen what we're all up to, I guess the real story begins now! Bout time, I say!

[Scene shows Yang talking to a woman by a river before showing Blake and Ashlyn walking through Ostagar.]

Yang: Basically, our heroes go about their daily lives not knowing things are about to get complicated soon. {groans} Why do things have to get complicated?

Next time on Taken, but Returned: The Lingering

[Scene pans to Jaune talking to a spectral figure.]

Yang: Jaune. Jaune no! Conversing with the dead isn't answer! Jaune!

An: I apologize if parts of the chapter weren't the best. And Yang's Ooc-ness and reasons she was 'de-aged' will be explained as the story goes on, as will her involvement with Link during the events of Ocarina of Time. But know that she's the only other person besides Link that knows exactly what happened in the old timeline, hence making the timeline they're in right now, the child timeline, where Link resets the world and goes back to tell Zelda of Ganondorf's treachery.

Let me know what you think of it in the reviews! 'Till next time!