"In the fifth year (242 BC) General Men Ao attacked and seized control of the cities of Suanzao, Yan, Xu, Changping, Yongqiu, and Shanyang. In all he captured twenty cities. The province of Dong was set up. In winter there was thunder." - Record of the Grand Historian

-Narrator-

While Ganondorf's journey in following the footsteps of Din took him eastward and Zelda took the fight to Ryo Fui, formerly known as Lu Buwei the Kingslayer, Link's journey took him in yet another path towards the front lines in the upcoming Termina and Lorule war campaign.

The war campaign was built on a temporary Zhao-Qin alliance to both shift the war in their favor on mutual terms. While Zhao would look eastward to Gorondis, Qin would establish a foothold in Lorule. But first, they would have to weaken Termina so they would not ally with Lorule against them.

The plan would be for Duke Hyou, leading 150,000 men, to attack Termina to distract, or better yet weaken, their army, while General Mougou would attack Lorule with 250,000 men to claim the Sanyou region in the name of Qin and establish a permanent foothold. General Ousen would act in support of Duke Hyou. General Kan Ki and General Moubu would act in support of General Mougou. With the bulk of Qin's army focused on the two campaigns, a draft would be initiated to build up temporary reinforcements for the Dragon Knight to reinforce the Gerudo border against possible counter-attack. While the others fought on, he would reclaim the wall that acted as a barrier between the two nations.

This war would initiate Qin's next great expansion, or stall their progress in its tracks towards eventual collapse. Either way, the Five-Hundred Year War had reached its next stage.

-Solitare-

Link's return to the fortress was a quick, silent one. Kyou Kai nervously observed him from the back as they rode up to the fortress walls. For her part, it was a welcome sight. She felt like it was a life-time ago since they had been on the border, though it had only been a month. She had changed so much. No longer wearing the scarf and covering her head with a hood, she was able to bask in the sun beating upon her face. The burn scar across half her face and scalp was gone. Link's help did not regrow her hair, so she was left with a receding hair line, but this would either regrow hair in time or it wouldn't. No matter which, she was happy.

For Link, his hunched shoulders, vigilant silence, and quick speed to leave the castle spoke much of his mood.

They left the horses in the stable, Solitare followed him to the barracks given to his unit, and they strode into the complex.

Instantly people swarmed them. Clearly from the joy and energy in the lot that they had been alerted to his return and were excited. Hei 'Bucktooth' Bi jumped Link to hug him while Kyo Gai stood by the door content to watch, but, to everyone's surprise, Link disappeared and reappeared behind them. The slight glow beneath his glove the only hint anything had happened. Link continued his silent march into his room and slammed the door behind him.

Hei Bi fell to the ground where he leaped. Kyo Gai watched Link with a perplexed look. Den Yuu looked down, seemingly embarassed as if he had done something wrong.

"What's with him?" Kyo Gai wondered.

Solitare smiled apologetically and said, "He hasn't been in the best mood since the palace..."

Instantly everyone looked at Solitare, startled and wide-eyed. She stood with nearly six-hundred eyes on her, all equally shocked. She squirmed a moment. She knew she hadn't tried to conceal her presence but perhaps being gone for a while meant they had lost touch of how to see her easily. They shouldn't have been that surprised to see her.

"LINK'S GOT A GIRLFRIEND?!" Hei Bi yelled.

Soli blushed furiously, "What?! No!"

Instantly everyone was yelling and clambering around her, but Den Yuu shoved himself in, pushed them aside, and leaned down to look closely at her. Solitare found herself pinned against the wall by their numerical presence.

"That voice..." Den Yuu gently took her face and turned it to the side. His eyes shot open wider. "Soli?!"

"SOLI!?"

"Beautiful..." Someone whispered.

"Yeah, its me, idiots!" Solitare barked. She knocked Den's much larger hand away.

Their surprise at seeing her, and no doubt her new appearance, left the mob in such a mentality that they nearly crushed her as they mobbed her. Taking a page out of Link's book, she concealed herself and let herself be seen again where she wasn't getting claustrophobic.

"I'll explain everything!" She yelled, "But first can you settle down?!"

"We're just so excited to see you!" Hei complained.

"I know, I love that, but can we not?"

"She's right, boys. Lets not crush them." Kyo Gai ordered. "Everyone disperse. Let's let the officers handle this."

The men grumbled, but generally obeyed and went about their separate ways. Though they didn't go far and continued to watch from a distance as they exercised, trained, or sat to play a game, or whatever they were up to. With the crowd gone, Solitare found she could breath again.

"Thanks..." She whispered.

Hei, Kyo, and Den approached and together they entered a side room separate from the one Link had taken. Something about his mood left them thinking it would be best to avoid him for now.

"Okay, as much as I love the new look, what gives?" Kyo Gai asked as soon as they were out of ear shot.

"Link has returned in as poor a mood as he left with." Den mused.

"I'd say even worse." Hei replied.

"It's complicated..." Soli whispered. She put a hand to her head and sighed. "We rode to the palace, Chancellor Ryo and Chancellor Riboku, the same one who killed General Ouki, formed a formal temporary alliance between Qin and Zhao, there was a feast, Link found a medicine to deal with my burns that also opened my memories, I nearly killed Chancellor Impa and wanted power but Link convinced me to stay my hand, we faced a monster-person and a giant dragon skeleton in the forest while Majora had a riot, Link's friend Ganon turned into a full demon but stayed his hand, and High Heir Princess Zelda returned her brother, Prince Kyou, from the dead to be married to the Lady Reida."

Soli took a breath, "And Link isn't happy with Princess Zelda for restoring her brother."

Their eyes were so wide it was a wonder the eyeballs didn't fall out of their skulls and roll across the floor. Seconds passed, long enough for Kei Kyou to wonder if she had overloaded them. It had been quite a journey for her. The only reason she probably took it as well as she did was Link's presence in everything and how he took it all in as if it was just another day to him. Link saw unusual circumstances and didn't hesitate or be shocked into inaction, but found what to do even in the most unlikely of situations and, to put it simply, did it.

The first to react was Hei. He gritted his teeth angrily and walked away unusually quiet and restrained. Soli did not know the circumstances surrounding Link, Prince Kyou, Princess Zelda, and Midna. Even Hei did not know the truth, but he did know his childhood friend was taken to the palace and died in the rebellion. His fiancé, Loo Tin, was also threatened in the same rebellion if his mayor hadn't warned everyone to flee.

The second to react was Den Yuu. The big guy had faced war and joined Link thinking of his daughter. They had fought against Zhao. More specifically, they had lost against Riboku. His usually peaceful and calm demeaner hardened and he walked away to process the news of an alliance.

Finally Kyo Gai's piercing gaze penetrated Soli and she felt uncomfortable beneath his scrutiny. Unlike Hei and Den, she had little idea of where the tattooed man's thoughts would lead.

"So it was the Dragmire that was that demon?" Kyo Gai asked. Soli nodded. He stood, staring at her, for a long moment, before she suddenly found herself engulfed in a tight hug. She froze in his arms. "I'm sorry, that must have been terrifying."

"I-it was," Soli confirmed.

-Link-

Wanting to get away from the suffocating atmosphere, Link climbed out of the window and took to walking the streets of the fortress in the public sector. The fortress was large with many districts. Most castles and forts that could only have room for the public buildings inside the walls and the residental homes had to be outside, Xianyang was one of three forts in Qin large enough to have several barracks inside its walls as well as a sizable number of civilian districts. Despite how massive the fortress was, Link had been here long enough to know its primary streets. He let his feet take him mindlessly through it while his thoughts were dark and distant.

His hand reached onto his belt and over the hilt of his first real blade given to him by Midna. The blade had shattered in battle with Harken Dragmire, and its shards had pierced his chest, but he still kept the hilt on him as a keepsake.

"Kyou..." He whispered to himself.

His feet led him to his usual place, the military cafeteria. He entered in, grabbed some grub that paled in comparison to the feasts he had been gorging himself on lately, and looked about. So many soldiers were in the fortress with the upcoming campaign that every seat was taken. Some soldiers had resorted to sitting on the floor to eat. Link sighed, resigned himself to sitting on the floor against the wall, and started eating.

His angry thoughts were lifted with the taste of food, but it wasn't enough to satisfy him.

"Why so down, young man?"

Link looked up to see an old man taking a spot next to him to eat as well. The old man's fare actually looked worse than his own, yet the old guy dug in happily.

"Its complicated..." Link muttered.

"Things are only complicated when we let them be." The old man replied.

"Yes, well, this has complicated in my absence, rather than with my permission."

"And you think it would be better if you had been there?"

Link sighed. He had food with him, but he found, for once, he wasn't truly hungry. He put his plate down and put his head in his hands. "Probably not, it is outside my control." The old man chuckled, and Link turned a scorned eye to him. "You find me amusing?"

"The very concept of control is amusing. Take it from me, young man. The harder you try to control things, the more it steers away. Everyone has a will and any attempt you make to enforce your will over theirs either fails, or turns you into something unrecognizable in a bid to force it."

Link recalled how the old man tried to getet his rival to do things and the young man was always running off. Link smiled in amusement. "You'd know something about that. But no, this is something more than that. The princess made a decision that I... disagree with. My sister was killed some time ago, and she has freed the killer."

"Did she have a reason to?"

Link scoffed at first, but if he allowed himself a moment to really think about it from Zelda's perspective, there likely was. Zelda was smarter than him by many leagues, and she lived in an environment she once described to him as a den of wolves. Link recalled how she had so few people to trust. He had seen Impa at the capital, but it was oddly empty. He didn't recall seeing Sarah and the Elder Fae had been home in his own kingdom during the drama with Majora.

Why would Zelda free Prince Kyou? If he had to think about it from her perspective, then either she was being blackmailed against her will or-

"She must have needed allies." Link concluded. Despite his conclusion, he couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice.

"True enough, allies are few in politics." The man nodded. "Everyone wants a title, but with so few positions for so many to grasp for, an ally one day may be an enemy the next."

Could Kyou betray her? Link didn't know him well enough, but if he could betray her once, he could do it again. But then again, knowing Zelda, she would be far less merciful the next time around.

"Well, if he does, he won't live long enough to regret it, knowing her."

"Then this killer should be wary." The old man concluded.

At this point, the door opened and two men walked in. Link recognized them instantly as Moubu, Ryo Fui's personal general, and Mouki, Link's rival.

"Hey Link!" Mouki waved, a bright smile on his face.

"Hey..." Link sighed.

Mouki raised an eyebrow and looked at the old man, who chuckled. "Don't mind your friend, he is having a mood."

"I can see that." Mouki smiled anyway. "I hope all is well, Link. Its been a little while. You ready for the campaign?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, I suppose."

General Moubu kept his peace and a small distance from them. He observed Link and nodded respectfully only once Link stood to his feet and composed himself.

"Good." The General grunted. "Wouldn't want General Ouki's protege getting cold feet."

"Protoge?" Link argued. "You can't be serious, I wasn't trained by him at all. That honor is for the Dragon Knight."

"Yet it was you to whom he gave his spear." The general affirmed. "You've done well, so I've heard. He would be proud. Keep it up. Don't die, if you can."

"What's this?" The old man chuckled. "Dear Moubu is actually being nice to a lesser officer?"

Moubu rolled his eyes, turned, and marched out. He said, "This kid stood with the tallest of us and is acknowledged by Ouki himself, as well as saving my life on one occasion. And I've certainly heard his name enough times from Mouki to never forget." Mouki laughed while Link turned red in embarrassment.

"Come on, general. We have the campaign to start!" Mouki called, also following after the general.

Confused, Link looked between them, uncertain who his rival had been speaking to. To his surprise, the old man grunted, stood, and confirmed he was coming.

"You're a general?!" Link stumbled over himself in a rush back. He had been so foolish as to speak treasonous things to a general?!

"Ah, don't mind him." Mouki grabbed Link and put his arm around his shoulders. "Grandpa likes to remember his good ol' days and spend time with regular troops from time to time, keeps his memory fresh and he gets to know the people beneath him."

Link couldn't believe his ears. He halted in his tracks and gaped, "G-grandpa?!"

"Yeah." Mouki confirmed. He smirked and pointed back at the two generals walking away. "Didn't you know? General Moubu is the son of General Mougou, and I am the son of General Moubu. We are family."

"WHAT?!"