The Ocarina of Time Novelization Chapter 5

Blaze of Deceit

By Habuki

Copyright: I do not own Zelda, Nintendo does. Story by Habuki productions.

        The scenery sure had changed over the years, the sky around the village had never seemed, well this shade of blackened midnight. Nighttime wasn't even around the corner and already Link had the willies, in places he didn't even know were supposed to be frightened. What scared him weren't the powers from Death Mountain--those were a little part of the scenery in his own mind, what scared him was the other night. With two days on Epona, the horse proved to be the fastest transportation they had ever had (beating cart-horses by miles) he had reached the Kakariko Village in a lesser estimated time. Glancing around the place, the ring of ash harsher than he had seen the time he got his Hookshot, Link suspected that meant the Fire Temple had activated.

        "N-navi, it looks more active."

        "Indeed, when we were on the road it wasn't this bad, it looks as though it would overflow." Not as bad as the other night, though, that was one of the weirdest scenes that the duo had ever hoped to go through and conquer. Nothing dangerous was knocking at their front door; it had something to do a day and a half after leaving the unfortunate Kokiiri. The children (whom thought Link was dead) had warned him of the Forest Medallion, they said that it possessed the power of Farore. Link doubted this to be a rumor--even though it was just after his encounter with the legendary event he had dubbed the 'Poe Gun Incident'. He didn't doubt the Goddess of Farore was around--or the rest of them--he just thought the idea of them being stored in a medallion was silly.

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It was the middle of the day, when he had first laid eyes on the medallion for the first time, each time doing it before caused painful memories to swell. With Saria gone he only had one person to fight for, he was stuck down to just fighting for Navi (since he wasn't doing this for himself.) Zelda wasn't even part of it anymore, she could be dead or alive for all the boy knew, and he sure as hell wasn't doing this for Hyrule. A land he wasn't even raised in, he wasn't doing it for the forest, either (even though he claimed he was avenging the Deku Tree's death.) This Hero of Time was doing it for his very own Heroine of Time, the girl that helped him all through these little dangers of his.

        While walking around the road of Hyrule, something had keened his senses; there was some sort of presence in the air, something that was neutral. A power that was not like Zelda's, nor was it like the idiot Ganondorf's, if he had to guess it might have been a power similar to his own. Spinning around, still positioned on Epona, he knew he wasn't wrong when she started to back up from the direction she was going. Grunting, he reached for the Blade of Evil's bane, stretching his vision and hearing to visualize and specialize what was coming. Though as he searched around, now a good distance from the visualization, a voice rang out in his head-- technically his hat.

        "Link, the air! Jump to the right" Navi zipped from his head with panic plastered on her face, the fairie had obviously been asleep during these own little troubles. How she wished her young partner could sleep with him (with Epona now, he did sleep when the day was going on, moving at a slow speed. Though now he had been up and about, letting the fairie just snooze off since they were about a day's way or so to Kakariko. When Epona had started backing up was when Navi awoke, her dreams of him interrupted as a nightmare came through there. It wasn't like a regular dream, it was some sort of precognition, and a warning from the heaven's that something was headed this way.

        "The air?" Staring up at the sky, all he saw was that the pretty clouds were starting to swirl, though not in a very malevolent manner at all. No, they would be changing if something evil was coming, not able to itch that there was something around here, though not in the air. All the air was getting to her head; they had been walking along the larger hills of the Hyrule World, so that could have been it. She must have had some sort of nightmare to tell a story like that--not like their old nightmares, these were the ones you had occasionally. With those thoughts pushed aside, he staring at the clouds when something did emerge from them (and what a something it was.)

        Not even able to get a quick look at it, something slammed into him and threw him across the ground, making him slide across and right into a rock. Rolling as fast as he could, Link tried to stop himself (Navi crying out as he ran along the hills) knowing his only way was to slam into a rock. A grunt of pain escaped his lips, knowing it wasn't Navi, but whoever it was sure had saved his life because where he stood was something burying into the ground. Glancing at the creature, it reminded him of the tales that he read as a little child--about the giant lizards that were killed by knights. Throwing himself up, ignoring the pain in his sides, Link spun around only to find the true eyes (or single eye) of red staring down at him.

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        "Shiek, you saved him!" Navi let out a cry of passion, slamming into the boy, who just stepped aside with his arms crossed around his muscular chest. When the fairie slammed into the air, she paid no heed to the boy and made her way over to the one she wanted to hug all up. There she was accepted into a warmed embrace, the couple hearing a couple of gagging noises from the lonely, older boy. She thought it was sad he had no companion to share his feelings with, though when you are a lone Shiekah, you really don't have friends. If they were anything like the legendary Shinobi, then they weren't that friendly, though the ancient race had protected the Hylians before.

        "Yea, yea.that thing is gone, for the time being." He spoke, his claws bearing a bit of blood upon them, fresh from maybe knocking a few scales off of that humming beast. Wiping the blood from his claws, Shiek stared over at the boy, checking to see if he had any bruises or cuts from his own distance. The thing towered over one hundred feet tall, plaited in scales so much that they reminded the couple of the former Dodongo King. Though this thing was far from that, this creature had no arms of legs, a horn so long on its head that it could drill through the earth's crust itself. When it was examined, it didn't match the dragons from the legends; it didn't match those beautiful beasts to be compared to this clown, nah.

        "What the hell was that?" Link sat himself up and looked over at the boy, whom had sat himself down upon a rock, proceeding to clean the guts off now.

        "A Genji Dragon, it's one of Ganondorf's toys, a creation of his." Shiek spoke so clearly, as if he knew so much, which didn't bode too well with the young fairie, she was easily examining the boy for data.

        "Genji, eh? So are there more?"

        "It was a prototype.made just for you." He grinned on the last part, not that of a happy man, nor the grin of a man with anguish for Link, it was a sad and pitiful smirk.

        Gulping down the last part, the boy stared off to the side and trying to sense if the creature was headed back for a second try at him. Feeling not even the neutral presence now, the boy just shrugged a simple shoulder and stared at him, the bruise of Link's starting to ache. Even as much as it hurt, he could show no pain infront of the messenger, which would prove to him that he was meant for the title. Maybe Shiek wanted to be the Hero of Time; he'd gladly hand it to him if that stupid Triforce piece weren't latched to his hand. What's more, the thing had granted Ganon some power to control everything; while he had just been handed the sword of evil's bane and one medallion.

        "Don't worry--it's a prototype, it won't be hard--if we train."

        "No, thanks, we train very well without your help." Navi cut him off before he had the chance to get the warrior's spirit in his eyes, the young boy just standing with slumped shoulders. He couldn't have been much older than Link (though who knew with him wearing that masks) although he was older than Link. That much was apparent, and even if a person were older than ten they would have more maturity than the young boy would trapped in the larger body. Link had surprised Navi, he was starting to gain some maturity, and he was actually starting to act a little of his own new age. Though that would make him a full-fledged Kokiiri when they returned to the- --her voice was cut off when she remembered the painful truth, staring off to the side in depression.

        "I don't think so, little fairie. You need my training; I have orders from your former sensei, Impa. You need to be able to handle yourselves, though this training won't be as long as hers."

        "Whew, then it was easier." That was a relief, Link was getting used to the easy life and the last thing he wanted was someone telling him what to do. Being an adult had its qualities, you weren't teased since he was so hand-some looking and also he could reach areas that were untouchable before. The place had changed; he was now a Hylian, one who would grow up even if he did stay in the tree-house all of his wife. Unless he was allowed to stay small by the new Deku Tree (whenever the sprout would pick up in the time change, maybe a year from then.) Though it was different between the two of them, sure they still loved each other, the bond was sort of wearing off as if they weren't supposed to be meant together forever.

        "..I didn't say that either, I just won't be taking breaks like your former sensei. I am going to train you for a day and a half, though you won't learn any new magic powers or anything. When you were young you were taught some martial arts, but the damned old fool erased them and put only sword-skill in your memory. Now we are going to teach some of them, none of my Shiekah skills, just some quick skills in the art of fighting. Ohh, and your medallions."

        "Medallions? They do something?" Navi blurted out, sitting on top of her partner's head, staring down at the Shiekah with those two sets of eyes placed there.

        "He didn't even tell you? Goddess." Shiek raised his hand to the heavens, said something in the old Shiekah language, before slapping his own forehead in misery. "You are the Hero of Time, but the Hero just doesn't rely on his own power, he is just a normal human being. You are stronger than most humans are, though, I will give you credit for that sort of thing, and they have trained you right. Have you even used any weird powers, aside the ones the fairies taught you?"

        "How did you know about the fairi--" Shiek cut him off by raising a finger to his lips--or the place under the cloth--and blew on them as softly as he could, a little secret.

        Navi was the one who spoke up. "Yea, he has done it many times, like when he was young he called up the powers of Naryu to create an attack, combine the powers to creature some sort of flying disc attack. Also against the Poe's we combine our powers with Din and Farore, but what does that have to do with the medallions."

        "I'm getting to it.the medallions made you strong, you and Link?"

"Yea, we got faster and everything, did it every time we got a Spiritual Stone." She stated matter-of-factly as the young Hero of Time sat down against one of the hills, his horse wondering off in direction. He didn't mind them talking, though he was almost like a child with a longer attention span which he wasn't that grateful for. Speaking of the stones really made him think of something, a memory that he couldn't remember, though it was something that happened as an adult. Maybe it was at the farm, maybe it was on the way to the farm, although he did remember that some sort of rock-powers had been used there. It killed some sort of monsters with swords and kept them at bay, keeping them from hurting someone, Navi wasn't in this flashback.

        "The farm, I used Terra magic!" Both of them spun around, their faces breaking out into a whist of concern for the boy, a word that he really shouldn't have known. Terra was a word that was in Shiekian language, a word that meant the earth, or the mother that nurtured the earth to life. In this case it was the young Goddess of Courage, Farore, the one that he had so recently received a medallion from only a few days ago. Only problem was that back then he hadn't had the Forest Medallion, all he had back then was he and the stupid Light jewel. Well, he could have learned the word (Navi knew it from a few studies of the books in Kakariko), though that had been so long she was even surprised she remembered the old term.

        "Terra--earth?" Shiek spoke out, his hands clasped in his lap, the land still quiet from all the old commotion; it was like it never happened, except the giant hole.

        "Yea, I called some quick-sand down and it sucked these two guys into the earth, didn't affect me."

        "The farm.Lon Lon Ranch? Where you must have gotten this mare?"

        "Yup, Epona." Link let out a small chuckle and just as he did, he was touched with a nose between his legs, thrown up into the air and landing on Epona's back.

        "Link, are you sure.where was I?" Navi spoke up as the young Shiekah chuckled at the horses antics, something he had never seen in a horse-- friendship.

        "You were getting Malon, remember right before we raced horses." He hated to say it was right before he butchered Ingo's true form and took care of the evil spirit that had dwelled within, it was just too sad.

Navi nodded, and turned towards Shiek, who had conveniently opened up his little satchel and brought out a chart and a stand, putting them up. When he opened it up for the two of them to see, the thing had all six medallions in the order he wanted to collect them: light, forest, fire, water, shadow, and spirit. Glancing up at the boy now, he pointed to chart, starting from where the light medallion was and going down the long list of them. Some sort of history lesson, something that the Hero of Time would need to know, so that was what he would do, listen to Shiek. He knew more about this, and at one time or another he did wish that the boy was the Hero of Time, he was a much better fighter than Link could ever be, that was for certain.

        "Alright you received the forest and light medallions, right?" Not even waiting for the two of them, he confirmed by the one around his neck and being able to sense the other one on him. "The Light medallion activates when all six are put together, but the other six can work on their own, not that the light can't turn on its own. The Light can heal some people that have been corrupted by evil."

        "That means Ingo could have!" The boy cried out in horror, afraid that he had made the ultimate mistake of killing the man, he could have healed him with the medallion. Sulking down, the young boy began to let out a few sniffles, Navi patting him on the back until he was hit on the side of the head. Spinning around to confront Navi, she was leaning on him with stars literally on her head also, the Shiekah pointing to the chart and shaking his head. He wasn't paying attention so he would be punished; though Link thought mourning over a death was something that could be excused. Glancing at his fairies' conditions, he patted the bump on her head before feeling his own and glancing back to the Shinobi who seemed to have softened up.

        "It can heal some people, Ingo was too far gone, if it was activated by all six then it would of, but that was too dangerous, you did the right thing." Relieving some air, he wondered how Shiek knew of the whole incident, maybe he was trailing them and too shy to join the group.

Shiek was about to speak when he, glanced up from his spot from the rock and placing eyes on the boy, his thoughts rushed away from there and returned back to trying to speak. Nothing could reveal him from his mission; the mission was what was brought to the young man in a dream, and a dream from someone that he didn't know. That wasn't entirely true, though--it was as if this person in the dream was really close, as if they had met in another lifetime or something. Never able to see the maiden's face, she had matching hair as him and always told him to guide the Hero of Time through the sage temples, something Shiek wouldn't do. He would observe, do it the way that he had always done it, that girl was out of her mind if she expected this much of the boy.

"Shiek?" Link spoke out; having yelled it from where he sat the man a few good feet away from him, how easily it was to distract him from the world.

"Hm? Oh, the medallions. Well this isn't from experience--I have never seen the medallions before until now, but I have heard from the legends that each of them gives you the power according to the race and Goddess. Like with Fire you maybe able to control fire, it with water and forest, though when you get to the other two if gets even more challenging. The order you are following the temples is the wisest, the most difficult being the Spirit Temple going down from they're to the Forest Temple."

"The Forest was hard! I almost died!" Sputtered out Link in a fury of rage, how dare he say that he had chosen the bad part of the temples, an easy one that it was! Mustering out a growl, the boy held back his own feelings as he glanced to the fairie, seeing that her face had paled from Shiek's news. Link had thought that maybe they had gotten the hardest temple and it would be smooth sailing from here--which didn't seem to be the case. It was as if the Goddesses wanted him to lose, laugh at that had happened and watch as the Gerudo killed the world. Now he would follow the same order as before (since he got even stronger each temple) hoping the jewel helped him in the rivaled Fire palace.

"Well then you need training, young hero." Shiek just shrugged a simple shoulder and began to retell the story of the Goddesses for the young boy and his fairie--refreshing their memories. Not that they needed to be retold the story, he was so boring in this day and age that every Hylian schoolboy must have known the legend. Not a legend anymore, the fable about the Hero of Time was in progress--this was now in the act of being over and if it was all was doomed. Glad that some people hadn't given up hope, it actually strengthened his heart, gave him the courage to push on for those innocents who had given their lives. All for some stupid kingdom, a place he didn't even like that much, though he guessed he would do the same for his own home in the Kokiiri Forest.

"What's this war called, Shiek?" Navi spoke up, the young boy having pulled down the map and setting up a new one just as the finished story had ended itself.

"The Imprisoning War is what they shall call it, right now there is no official name, though I think that is a rightful name for such an era. Hopefully this land will heal and be restored in just a few months-- hopefully before all the races die and only we are the ones who remain." A small grim mark was placed upon his face, the boy keeping his cool composure and keeping on with the explanation, this time different. Instead of explaining about the Triforce and what happened to the user who touched it, he went into detail at what the hell that Triforce did. This was exciting, something that Link had wanted to hear since he had heard of the Triforce, but since no one had even laid hands on it then it was unknown. Listening eagerly, his fairie perched right at his side, Shiek asked if he wanted to know about this secret (not even asking about the legend) the Time hero agreeing.

First he explained the piece that was the most important, the piece that everyone wanted to know about (even the Hero and his fairie.) Talking about the Power piece, he explained that the user would be immortal forever, the Master Sword couldn't kill except this person. All other weapons were futile against it; also the person had gained the abilities to use the Triforce of Power to transform--though he didn't say how he knew. Along with that, the appearance of the person would change deeply; he would become monstrous looking, even if he were handsome the day he touched it. Used for good and evil, usually this piece was inhabited by the ones that were hungry with power, ones who didn't want peace or glory that the Goddesses had wanted so long ago.

Amazed at the powers of them, Link and Navi kept their patience while the boy went on with another tale, this one about his own piece. Possessing the Triforce of Courage meant that he wasn't good or bad in these situations--his natural look in all prospects of life. This owner of the piece was considered the Hero of Time and the only one that could swing the Master Sword without it breaking into tiny bits. Also he was able to call upon certain courage from within, and if someone cared about them then the user could use their courage in his own to power his vitality. Along with that, the Farore Powers that he was supposed to have gained from the Forest Medallion were more powerful than the other medallion powers. It wasn't that much to process, slipping the pierce off and catching the resonating feeling of it, letting Navi touch and feel its warmth.

Shiek seemed to startle a little, as if he was afraid of the piece and pulled his hands behind his back and stared on with those cold eyes. It was sad how he looked there, no friend at all and with no intention to make any--it just saddened the Hylian how the man acted. If asked to join the band, the boy would have simply nodded his head and said that he was welcome to this place anytime he needed. A naïve decision, he didn't even bother asking for he knew the older boy would never take him up on the offer--Shiek wasn't like that. Shiek was the sort of person who would forever be burned in your mind, not as a friend or an enemy, but as a central core in every conflict.

Regaining his composure, he pushed the chart away back into his satchel and began to explain the powers from the third and final piece of the Triforce. Wisdom granted the person vast knowledge, not caring on the age of the person and making that one the wisest in the land. As the Wisdom Holder could make magic the strongest it could ever be, the person could also heal anyone that they wanted too and even summon some weird powers. Shiek didn't go into detail of these powers, he just said that her magical abilities were rivaled by the Ganondorf's own evil powers. Holy magic the Wisdom could use, while the intentionally evil Power could take and summon the dark graves for souls and other evil manna. As good as the Wisdom user was, the Courage was straight in the center of all the arguments, and the Power on the far side of them, wandering in evil.

"Wow.how do you know so much?" Link pondered out at the boy, whom was packing his stuff up now, taking out a simple harp that he had used two times before.

"I can't let that information out to you, Hero, but I have my ways of getting secrets from that idiot." Smirking, he just shrugged a shoulder, never worrying about what his actions could bring to him in the events that were next. Ganondorf never spied on him; he was trusted too much since the man didn't know much about Shiekah, it was weird to be trusted by the King of Evil. Shivering from that, he reached for his harp and began to strum it up, the boy thinking in the back of his mind for something. As he thought, he saw that the boy was picking himself up and getting ready to go, they had been talking the entire day away. Now the sun setting over the horizon, there was no time in staying here--he would train them, just not where the hole was, but first a song.

"Take out your ocarina, hero." When he reached for his side pack and snatched out the one from before (not the Ocarina of Time) Shiek just slapped his head and spoke out. "No, that one can't transport to specific areas, that one maybe magic, but it isn't as powerful as the one that you were given back then."

Navi was weary about how he knew so much, she still didn't trust him and if Link invited him to join them, then the girl was going to have to slap some sense in him. Shiek was a very dangerous fellow, he couldn't be trusted with anyone's life, and now he wanted to train the two in the arts. He wished he would do it now and go, but as they took out the instruments, she got the feeling that he wasn't as bad as he seemed. Maybe a tough-guy attitude, the man could have possibly been hiding the fact that his parents were killed during this new war and out for revenge. He could be pretending to be a loyal minion of Ganon, then again he could have just been a minion that was sent to dispose of the Hero at night.

No bad thoughts came from Link as he simply nodded and took out the new stationary of his, the pencil and the Ocarina of Time. What he did now was practice on the Faire Ocarina and then go to work playing on the glass one every now and then. That was the best way to honour Saria's memory (even though she wasn't dead) and keeps his spirits from sinking without the thoughts of her being lost. Pushing the ocarina deeper against the lips, he blew in a beautiful tune, one that he used to practice and show to the boy he was getting better. Approved with a grin, the hero gave a small thumb' up sign and proceeded to watch the Shinobi play his instrument for the boy.

"This is another warping song, the Bolero of Fire. Do not play this, though, after I've taught it to you. It will transport you down to the center of the volcano and there you would suffocate--the Fire Temple."

"How will we survive, then, Shiek!" Navi literally screamed out, seeing that something was wrong and he was just trying to trick them, though his lone eye showed her otherwise.

"You can get a tunic inside the Goron City, it is used to reflect off smoke and makes you breath in smoke without the fear of dying, plus you are a little immune to fire."

"A little?" Link pondered.

"Oh, it still hurts, believe me it will still hurt, though not as bad and not as much aftereffects, now listen closely." Strumming the harp one last time, the Bolero of Fire was played out with simple beauty, the Shiek having been a fighter and a master of the Harp. With that said, he played out the tune of fire, not a poetically bad song, but one that seemed to have its liveliness and its somber mood. When at last he was done, he reached for the paper and jotted down the notes, handing them back to the younger boy to practice. A full twenty minutes went by, Shiek watching the ground and waiting that the thing did not come back, when finally he let out a small cry of pleasure. Turning his head to see it, the boy caught the whole tune of it, the first time that he had played it, so there hadn't been the pressure of disappearing.

"Good going, Link, that's it!"

"Thanks, Shiek." He smiled a little; his smile knocked off when Shiek's eyes turned into a fearful gaze, the boy jumping off the rock he stood on when just something blurred right where the spot had been. Only a few feet away, Link was thrown back in aghast, throwing his ocarina and tune sheet back inside his satchel at the other warrior had something ready for action. Three Shurikens were jabbed inside of the monster, the one from a few hours ago that had visited the center of the earth and come back for his dinner. This monster was back for more, the claws of Shiek already scraping the sound, and something was cast with a few whisperings, keeping the thing from escaping. No it wasn't paralyzed; the creature simply couldn't go back into the ground, hard rock in the way of the soft grass (so hard he couldn't drill it.)

"Shiek, his hide it too hard, what do I do?" He screamed out between the screams of the monster that was being jabbed with the Shurikens, each of them bouncing off. It had somehow curled into a protective ball; a way of penetrating the beast seemed to be as possible as winning this battle. Just taking a good hard look at the monster, he knew the Master Sword or any energy was not going to sink inside the core. How he knew was because his fairie was firing shots of paralysis and the regular Ki shots at it with the desperation disappearing in her eyes. Grunting in pain, he felt a tingling around his neck, something seeming to simulate and shake around the region of his neck.

"Link! Saria's medallion is reacting!" Even Shiek heard this, holding the beast down with this new summon in action and glancing at the medallion with eyes wide. Navi had spoke just then, her being quiet within the first few hours and not knowing why, she thought it may have had to do with Link's new past. It was futile to resist it, though she couldn't help but feel a little trapped in this position, the way that he would eventually grow this tall (and older.) Not even thinking these thoughts anymore, she just screamed out to her love that the medallion was starting to resonate some green power. Maybe the powers that the medallions gave, they were still on a plain--which wasn't the forest--though it was part of the natural environment that Farore had created all those millennia ago.

"Link, the Forest Sage's medallion, use it!" Shiek screamed out in pain, the energy was throwing out, beginning to weaken as the thing thrashed and hit against the small box he had enclosed it into.

"But how!"

"I don't know, you are the Hero of Time!" The Shiekah just shrugged a shoulder and gave off a small smirk, the young boy returning the smirk with one of his own, and a quite grin. Grabbing the medallion, he began to speak in Kokiirish, some of the language he didn't know and other words that he and Navi heard. With this spoke, he called upon the Goddess of Farore just as the box broke on the un-powered Shiek and the thing jumping right at him. When he screamed out in pain from the medallion, not even hearing what happened to Shiek, the scene seemed to disappear, the entire place brightening up. Closing his eyes from the light, hands covering out the shining beams, he opened them up only to be staring down into the eyes of a green pair.

Before he could talk or answer it, the eyes revealed a beautiful green- haired woman inside of a long robe of a silky white, the lady whispering a few words before kissing him. When the kiss hit, the boy's eyes brightened again, accepting the light this time and reappearing back on the plain of reality he existed from. Staring at the scene, he saw that Shiek was no where in sight, Navi right on his shoulder and all the ground around disrupted. Yes, the land was all broken up as if an earthquake had hit; though this was no earthquake, for large green tentacles had reached out of the earth. They were wrapped around the giant dragon, the thing having been impaled and smashed out so many times that it was just gruesome, an awful sight.

There was when a note hit him on the head, catching the letter died to a small pebble and reading it, his thoughts reassuring that it was from Shiek. He said that maybe their training should be delayed, with powers like those, he didn't need the martial arts as bad as he thought. The note said that maybe when he got the tunic they would train some, not as long as he said, but a refresher course from his younger years. Grinning, he tore up the note and pushed away from the bloody scene, not able to wake Navi from her sleep to ask what had happened. So sad that this had to end this way, the same way as some of his other battles had ended, with him unconscious and out of commission.

Epona was just a mile away from the wreckage, almost afraid to pick him up and carry him up the way he wanted to go; maybe the thing was scared? As he took a few minutes to get reacquainted and play her song, the horse finally did the move where her nose was between his legs and threw him up. Lying down on his back, the night sky appearing as the last of the sun had disappeared from view, he couldn't help wonder what Saria had given him. Was it a gift of some sort, or maybe it was a curse that he had inherited, a curse that had no cure except the sweet sound of death. Now with the long road ahead of him, Link wasn't thinking about death anymore, he wasn't thinking about anything, all he did was kiss his fairie and horse goodnight (passing out within a few seconds later.)

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Navi never told Link of what happened, at first she didn't speak of it as they rode the mare down towards the village of Kakariko, not even mentioning a thing. Then Link asked her if anything had happened while he was passed out--he had told her that he didn't remember anything about the medallion. Navi honestly didn't like to lie to him; she hated being untruthful to Link, although she didn't mind lying to get by other people. For a few minutes she thought of what she was going to tell him, her eyes wondered down towards the ground and whispered out softly. There she said that she didn't know the light was so bright that everything had happened too quickly for her to bat an eye at.

Link just shrugged a shoulder and said the same thing had happened to him, though in his case he didn't even remember the green light. Smiling towards her, he kept on at his pace, not letting it bother him in the least- -whatever it was, he wasn't supposed to know of it. Oh, if he knew he would have spent a few more days crying the cruelty that were spent on that dragon was so sad that Navi had cried about it nights later. Nothing deserved what happened to that creature, no matter how bad someone was; there wasn't any right to do it to the thing. Of course Navi knew that the boy had no control over what happened, so there was no guilt held towards him, just for the holy beings above.

With that the days rolled on and finally they did reach the village, the village a repetition of what had happened all those years ago--just the same. Since this was the first time to see the town in seven years, she just wondered around with the boy, as he walked over towards a new building. This building was somewhat of a tavern, a large guy blocking the entrance, his muscles sort of a barrier for little kids whom wanted to slip in. In his regular state, Link couldn't have gotten inside the place; even now they weren't sure if he was old enough to get inside. Last time he hadn't visited the place, just passed it on while he was headed to get the Hookshot, this time was different, though.

"Why are we headed to the tavern, Link?' Navi spoke with concern in her face, he may have been the Hero of Time, but that didn't mean she had no worries about him, she would always feel that.

"Mm, we need to find that tunic, remember?" Walking up to the burley man, who just sneered at him with those arms crossed tighter (it seemed muscles meant more to this man than skill.

"You think you are getting inside?" When the boy nodded his head, a smile placed upon his lips to confirm the actions, the man just burst into a stream of harsh guffaws. Brooding about six feet, four inches tall, he wasn't going to be provoked by a little shrimp that may have had muscles, but not enough to intimidate him. Standing bare-chested with a small vest on his body that was already to small for him, from the looks of it, the muscles showing abroad. Pair of dark turban-like pants was on his legs as the bald-headed man sprouted quite a bit of facial hair on him, showing the years. While Link stood aside with his blood boiling, the man raised a fist and threw it forward at the boy, going to knock him out for his own good.

The force would have knocked the Hero of Time out if he didn't catch it coming out at him, and throwing himself backwards, reaching for the blade. Before the man could muster even a cry, the sword was pressed against the rim of his throat, getting ready to strike out in there. Link was taller now, he wanted more respect that he had ever gotten, and it was only natural he wouldn't take shit given out to him. Navi just fluttered at his side, her arms crossed with the veil off revealing as if she was some sort of female sidekick of his. Smiling at the man with that same childish grin, he cocked his head to the left and spoke with those words slithering down his tongue. "A table?"

"O-of course, sir!" The green pants were very bright, but around the crotch area they suddenly faded a dark black that drizzled all the way down to his legs. Letting the man who pissed his pants go, Link sheathed the sword back inside of the scabbard and just stared at him, hands crossed. Before the man could run away, before he could go and grab something to strike the hero, the boy had him by the throat, pressing him against the wall. Well, his intimidation of small muscles was forever gone, when a kid could lift him up and almost kill him with that power he possessed. Just staring down into the blue eyes with his own black ones shivering, the man's pants got hotter and hotter around there.

"I don't need a room, forget it, I just need some information."

"O-of course, whatever about?" He chuckled a little nervously, taking his eyes off and staring down at the partner on his shoulder, a pretty little thing that could be held for some devious plots.

"Ganondorf." Oh, if his pants were darkened now, then they were pitch black when he heard the name of Ganondorf, spinning in all directions before turning to the boy. Yanking himself free, he nodded a quick shoulder and sped forward, not trying to lose the boy, but leading him towards the destination. Lose him he wouldn't, for Link was right behind him, letting the man run until he reached a small brown shack, one that looked just a normal toilet. Punching on the small moon that stood for the symbol, the thing cracked back to reveal a small hole that was there for them. As he stepped inside, the man nodded at the boy for him to follow him, even though he hadn't given the latest content of it.

"Should we go?" He spoke with a little nervousness in his voice, he wasn't afraid of the nasty man, but he was guttered about this new place.

"Yes, they could be a resistance group." It was true that around this time there were bound to be people who would want to resist Ganondorf some that would be crushed. Though without resistance they would always have to give into the tyrannical maniac, they would always have to deal with it. No one thought the hero was coming, they knew the legends of the past, though after seven years who'd have thought his ass would show. Chuckling at the though, the girl spun towards the boy and gave a quick nod at him, showing that she was ready to do this. If it turned out to be something bad, she would accept the penalty and take whatever the consequences with the full force intact.

"Really? Wow, I wondered when we'd see one." Rauru had said something about one, hadn't he? I mean it was only a few weeks ago, but for some reason Link had the hardest time trying to remember, maybe it was the time inside the Chamber of Sages. He guessed that time was different down there- -not different, but maybe memories could be lost down there easier than above. That made him feel weak, hoping he didn't lose any of the memories from when he was a child (able to capture them right at this moment.) Rampaging inside his heart had ceased, him nodding at his fairie and sliding down the hole for a few feet, clasping a ladder there. The climb was longer than he expected, the boy moving down the ladder for at least thirty minutes before it opened up into a larger area.

Spreading out in the room, it went around to be a fifty feet room that was made entirely out of metal, machines of all sorts were spread around. Some of them were so ancient that he couldn't have expected them to be here, but the rest of them were of machines that had been invented in the past centuries. All around him were people in desks, their noses pressed in books while a lone man sat at the top of the place, his arms crossed over his chest. Link nearly fainted when he realized the burly man from before was looking out at the desk and reciting verses, things in different languages. Landing off of the ladder the last five feet, a small echo entered the metal room, the eyes from the desk turning up and glaring down at him with some mixed emotions.

"Link.I think this is a bad time." She chuckled nervously, her thoughts pushed away when Link pulled out his sword for battle, the people not crying out in terror. All of a sudden their voices erupted in joy, the squeals from the men and women Hylian all crying out for joy seemed too much for the boy. Dropping the sword from the pain of the squeals, someone leapt forward and caught the sword so it wouldn't be hurt, the place seeming to quiet down when they realized what they did. As the person had his sword, he looked down and peered into the eyes of a young child--maybe the same age he would be if he hadn't grown up. A little girl with beautiful brunette hair, she was glancing up at him with those green eyes sparkling up in the sudden joy of this event.

"Welcome to our home, Hero of Time!" The little girl squealed out in joy, handling the heavy sword, as if it were no big deal, Link would have had a problem holding the Master Sword. Though she was just holding it by the held and the middle of the blade, since it was double-edged she could only hold it like this. Placing the sword back into his hands, the boy examined the small little girl, she dressed in the oddest article of clothing he had laid eyes on. She was wearing a tunic just like his, though it was a red colour, something of a nice suit it had on, and it was in a dress like his was. Others around her weren't dressed the same, they all wore beautiful white robes that glistened all down their backs, holy insignias put on all of their clothes in different manners.

"Y.you know who I am?" Scratching his head, he observed the robes of theirs, finding Triforce symbols, and all sorts of signals he hadn't seen before.

"Yes, we know who you are, and we know of your fairie. Though we don't know you, we know who you are--and that you carry the Sword of Evil's Bane." Grinning up at him, she sprinted away from the boy and over at the top of the platform, hiding before the bald-headed man from before. His attire had changed from the rough-customer routine to that of the robes, his whitest of them and holding a giant Triforce on the top and bottom. Maybe this was some sort of cult, was what Link's mind rumbled on, as he stared back at his fairie to converse behind their ears. While they spoke, the people intentionally not listening, they approached him with ladies taking all of his materials off, leaving him bare except the white dress shirt on him. Even the Master Sword was gone, though he let them accept it, not trusting these people, but not having a choice since the hole had sealed out their exit.

"Navi, what do you think?"

"I dunno, this looks like some sort of Triforce cult, resistance groups are supposed to be of military groups, these people seem like normal Hylians." It was weird, but she had expected to see some ex-soldiers and knights that were just raving for battle, that would test their skills. Yea, not that she wanted that, these people were nice and even had children around here, maybe learning the ways of the Triforce. They might be useful to tell them of the Triforce, stuff that had been hidden from the public, but they were just regular people. Wasn't like they were special or anything, that's not what she thought, her mind power was just a little confused in this situation. Before she could answer anymore, her voice was knocked out of contact by another, this the voice of the man from the bar that had been so been before.

"No, young fairie, we are not a cult. My and my brethren are from the Holy Circle of Hyrule."

"Circle of Hyrule, what's that?" Link spoke out loud, taking a seat that a chair had been given to him, it was a nice red chair that was made of wood, but cushions sown into it.

"That, my fair lad, is the section of Hyrule Castle that was entrusted to guard the Triforce. You didn't think we didn't know that one day an evil man would appear, we have the power of dreams like the Princess of Zelda, we foresaw this but the king was too foolish to see what was coming. There he met his demise in the war we have named the Imprisoning War." With a deep sigh of sadness entering his voice, he sat down in a similar chair like Link's, this one posted at a podium he had been teaching at.

"So what do you all do here?" This was Navi, she had come to rest on the red cushion of the couch, and they weren't that far away from the man, only about twenty feet, and the room very long across.

"We have been searching for the past seven years for the Hero of Time." This wasn't the man who spoke, but the feminine voice of the little girl who had caught their sword, sitting up on the man's lap. From the adventurer's guess she had to be the daughter of the man, no one else would dare sit up on what seemed to be the leader. She was sitting on his lap and turned around to face the man, giving him a kiss on the cheek before turning back to the group, looking wise beyond her years. As they sat here, they couldn't help but wonder that she was some sort of leader--maybe the man some sort of figurehead around here. Who would respect a little girl, I mean usually people that were small got no respect--Link knew this from the bad experiences as a kid.

"Well---I've been asleep." Scratching the back of his head nervously, the boy stared over at the group who just stared at him in amazement and confusion.

"What do you mean--asleep!" Shock went all around as he shrugged a shoulder, staring off to the sides with his eyes diverting in some different directions of them. It was so weird to do this, but he thought that maybe these people were nice and that they wouldn't spoil the secrets to Ganondorf. Some seemed to be repelled by this answer, it was a stupid one, and though Link thought that maybe he could trust these people. Navi just slapped her face; it was a real good way to get off a conversation with these people, people who had been maimed for a person. Now he had appeared and had admitted he had been asleep this whole time, she really thought that riots were going to break out soon.

"Wait, let me explain! Link was asleep, and so was I, he was too young to be the Hero of Time, so he was put asleep so he could grow and we just woke up a week ago." Navi tried her best to calm them down; a few of them were quieter than before, others not really believing the small fairy's story, asking for proof.

"Proof? I have your proof." Link was getting sick of these people; first they started to blame him for his sleep, now they doubt that he was the Hero of Time. Reaching for the medallion around his neck, he held the Forest Medallion high in the air, the place seeming to rumble along with his emotions. All of a sudden, a tree burst out through the metal--this single thing penetrating through several hundred meters of hard-core steel. Luckily there was no one around that area, no machinery either so all it did was scare the hell out of everyone, proving himself. With a slip of the wrist, he revealed the Light Medallion, not knowing how to use it since it wasn't activated, so he just put that one back in. "Wow, you did that on purpose?" Navi inquired.

"N-no, I guess it reacts to my emotions." Chuckling, the next sound heard were more cheers, them yelling out that he was truly the Hero of Time, that no other tests were needed. The reason he had the Forest was it was still around his neck, the Light had been slipped out of his side pack when they came for it, keeping it in the palm of his gloves. Pulling the gloves off, and storing the Light Medallion to the chain with the Forest, he pointed his hand towards them, the one with the Triforce. Gasps and cries of joy entered their vision, all the people falling to their knees except the little girl; she just sat on top of that platform and stared. All suspicion of her being the leader of this was shown, the people daring not to take another step towards the Triforce holder, though the girl making her way towards his chair.

"So, you are the Hero of Time." She gave a small curtsy bow and stared up at his face, the delicate figure of hers showing her true personality, she was so wise.

"Do you have the Triforce of Wisdom?" Navi and Link blurted out, it was apparent that they both felt the same vibe about her, she had this weird vibration on her aura. Unfortunately, the girl revealed her bare hands to show that she didn't have the Wisdom piece, it would have been such a great thing. Two pieces against one was great, even though from Shiek's teachings he knew that the user was on the side of good, never betraying. He would have liked to maybe borrow some of the user's magical abilities, to be able to summon up some even more powerful spells. These people seemed to be more on technological-wise than anything else, they more intelligent that the normal Hylians were.

"Unfortunately, I am not, hero, though I wish I had." Clasping her hands at her sides, she climbed up and sat upon his lap, the boy feeling a bit uncomfortable just in that under-shirt and pants. Nevertheless she just sat down in his lap like a child would and giggled sweetly, her dimples showing out the cutest flavor he had seen. Not even knowing her name yet, his hand went to her and started to stroke the brown hair in the sweetest fashion, the girl nuzzling the bare hand. The piece of Triforce pressed against her skin, the thing seeming to warm her up as a sigh of passion escaped her lips, pulling away from the piece. No matter how much she wanted to be near it, there was no time for that--this was the time to be more accordingly and speak.

"Who are you, and what is that you are wearing?" He called out, his hands returning to his lap as the fairie just watched along with them, for some reason she felt no jealously around this girl, maybe it was because he was so larger than before.

"My name is Kaci, and this is the legendary Kaen Vest. You will need it to get into Death Mountain, but unfortunately, I have only child-sizes, the adult ones were given to the Goron's back before this trouble started."

"Oh, well I can go visit them, I am the Great Dodongo Buster." He gave out a chuckle of triumph, explaining how he defeated the Dodongo King those seven years ago, the girl frowning as he finished. There he wondered why she frowned, because before her eyes had been lit with excitement, loving the tales that he had told her. Just the Dodongo one, the other people also crowding around them and hearing the story of how a child could defeat a dinosaur king. It was a weird story, though with the Triforce of Courage embedded upon this boy, they would believe him if he said he could fly up and see the Goddesses. Finally when it had finished, he watched her face slump down in a bit of pity, staring to his fairie for help, though she just shrugged.

"What's wrong, little girl?" Navi fluttered to her face, illuminating the barrier so that she cried out in pleasure and held the thing to her face, cheering her up.

"The Gorons have died out--well, no let me rephrase that--the Gorons will die out. The evil Ganondorf has done something to them, I don't know what but he has done something evil to them, they have been captured and will be sacrificed as a warning to other races of those who disobey him." She just gave up trying to hold it in, bursting out in a stream of tears, the people around her also starting to moan in accordance.

"My Goddess, not again!" Link slammed his fists on the sides of the chair, the little girl crying out in surprise and starting to lose her balance, only to be caught. The hero caught her with his open arms, an expression of that handsome-nature displayed towards the young girl (some concern.) He hadn't meant to drop her, though the deep was done and the fact of the matter was that he had her, a small grin caressing her lips. Looking over towards the other people was weird, they seemed so different than before, and it was like they didn't even care about her. All of a sudden they sprung up in surprise and surrounded the chair, saying there apologizes for not being there to rescue her.

The people had so much weird qualities around them, Navi couldn't really place how they looked, and they weren't ghosts or anything. Though from the look of things they could have been dead, the expressions they had when the girl was falling was that of a dead substance. It was hard to place together, maybe some sort of magic was in order, but since it wasn't anything evil, there was no need to worry. Just staring back at the girl, she let Kaci hold her and cuddle with her so that they were warmed, the hero just smiling and stroking her. What a wonderful father he would have made, Navi's thoughts rambled on as she glanced the ways he played with the younger girl.

        --------------------

The duo had appeared at Kakariko Village at about seven o'clock that morning and from then until that night they played every different game they could think of. All sorts of games they played, the young boy seeing no other people her age (or even his age) everyone was either in their late forties or below. Each of them had gone into designated rooms and didn't come back for hours at a time, each time she was thirsty or asked if he was and then called them down. It was weird, as if they were her servants (even her so-called father was being ordered around when lunch time came around.) No matter how freaky it got, they played on and all three of them were in the weirdest games that the two had ever come in contact with.

Link and Kaci even got on this little machine with small pads on them where you danced and a score would pop up, you could win a prize. Being a terrible dancer, he managed to lose every time at that game, the girl letting him have one pity win, a giggle entering her lips. Admissibility was styled when she was happy, it was one of the only times he didn't mind being in this creepy place, the other times he seemed very freaked out. The food was good and all, there was just some sort of weird atmosphere about it, as if something had happened her a long time ago. He even mentioned once what she was doing when Ganondorf took here, her eyes seeming to mist up until he told her that it was time for another lesson on that weird dancing machine.

Another little thing that the girl liked was chocolate; these were some strange candies that Link has never tasted before in his life. She had millions upon millions, saying that they produced him here, and that they were her favorite sweet in the entire world. Expecting it to taste like berries or something, he was surprised by the taste, loving it and sharing it with his little companion. Navi ate the chocolate and commented on it also, the three of them gobbling on the sweets as they spoke of his quest on the road. Yea, he told her about all he had been through, changing time periods and even the adventures he had had as a young Kokiiri child.

The fun didn't even stop there, the hours seemed to pass from their eyes as they fooled around with the Master Sword, Kaci seeming to have sort of a knack for it. That was awesome, he had never met many girls that were good with a sword (Impa excluded), though she didn't use swords. He knew she could use them, although this was the first time that a little girl was so skilled with a sword--from second glance she seeming to be a few years older than his original form. Not able to hold up the Master Sword, he saw that she could use the Kokiiri Sword of Farore just as good as he could-- though no Ki lights or any special attacks. No, this girl wasn't gifted in that area, but fighting wasn't her best quality, it was her personality that he simply loved to be around.

It was a different shine than when around Navi, this was a pure and innocent girl while Navi was just Navi, not that he hated her personality. Nah, he would change that girl for a thing, but he was so used to her that being with this new girl was a breath of fresh air. Although he did notice certain things saddened her, like when they passed a room that was bare, he asked about it and she said that someone there died a long time ago. That was sort of a tender subject, so they talked about other things, and even when they passed rooms people were in she would sigh in sadness. No more pondering on that, the fun went on for the hours until finally the sun that was seen from a special devise tolled it was ten o'clock at the nighttime.

Visiting Anjou would have to wait until tomorrow; he would see her for a few hours then he was going to make his way to the Goron City. That was the best thing, he didn't want to waste anymore time with this place, though he would go and see Kaci before he left Kakariko. Staying there that night, he was bound in a room with the young girl, them sleeping in the same bed with the little fairie. A huge bed, it was, so nobody minded sharing the large bed with pink covers--Kaci saying that it was she bed and she loved people over. During the middle of the night, he heard some whimpers and scoots towards him, arms wrapping around his waist in an embrace. Accepting the embrace, the little girl was bound to him, softly sobbing in her sleep as that went for a few more minutes, sinking back into unconsciousness.

After he was asleep, the boy was dressed back into his clothes by the young girl that had awoken the clothes cleaner, trimmer and bearing a small mark upon them. The mark was of a golden eagle with a small tear placed on its forehead, staring up to the left with the Triforce at its side. Whatever the mark was, she gladly sown it on the green part of his tunic, the thing seemed to be sort of different than regular cloth. It was weird that Hyrule was like this, though it wasn't the Hyrule that you knew this was the Hyrule that was hidden behind the doors. When at last that was done, his armour and everything was returned to him, hoping he didn't awaken before her--otherwise the jig was up. Thought of those disappeared as she sunk against him, rubbing against his older body and loving the feel of those emotions, slipping away into deep unconsciousness once again.

        --------------------

"Link!" The voice of his fairie jolted him away, his eyes glancing around the room with a notice that he was no longer on a bed at all. No, he was no where, he was in the middle of a pitch-black room, grabbing the Triforce and summoning up a light to glance around. They were in a complete black room, it seeming to have the same smell as the room that he had slept it, but a dank feeling about. At his side was the girl, but her clothes were different from the beautiful robe that she wore to bed, they were rags all around her dirt-caked face. Picking her up, thinking this was some sort of nightmare, he wandered around the cold room, finding the door to it and pushing himself through.

"Navi, what's wrong with this place?" Having found a small candle in the next room, he lit a bit of Din's Fire on it and kept it burnt, recognizing this room as the same ones from yesterday, except rotten.

"I don't know, but I have been having suspicions about this girl, she maybe a Itoki." She perched upon his right shoulder, the young girl was laying over his shoulder on the right, and pretty soon he dropped the candle and used the powers of her veil and his Triforce so that he held her in both arms.

"An Itoki? What's that?" Curiosity pondered his mind, all these confusing words and all the languages in this land made his little head spin--Hyrule was so culture-referenced.

"Itoki stands for a person who can manipulate the dead, or use them as some sort of barrier, but in this case she isn't doing it for bad purposes. She is keeping the ghosts here so that they can help her relive her life, something happened here a long time ago and this place was destroyed, so this land is just a mirage what we saw yesterday. What is before us is the true land, and it seemed that whatever happened wasn't good."

"But we ate their food, we slept in their bed!" He stared in confusion from the room, coming upon the main room with the ladder; he stared around the room for a few seconds before locating the ladder. With all supplies ready for use, he scaled the ladder and appeared back in the normal shed, looking around to catch the sun rising over the horizon. Morning was finally here, the morning sun causing the boy to sit back against the fence and rest his back there with Kaci in his lap. It was sad it had to end like this--she was just a poor girl and he couldn't do a thing with her-- maybe if she stayed with Malon would be best for her. The Deku Sprout may of let her stay there, though he doubted it since he strictly said not to come back with any other people except Navi.

        --------------------

Six o'clock, of course he wouldn't be up, I will just change back the place and no one would know the different, her thoughts rambled as she felt the familiar damp feelings. Though as she was about to wake up, something grabbed her and lifted her from her old home, feelings of being kidnapped emerged. Staying calm, she was glad when they came to a new place, the scent smelt like the Kakariko except there were no Cuccos around. Kaci hadn't been out of the house for a few years now, she had just stopped caring about people and trying to move on, she wanted her old life back. So the Shaman's way was the only way, though it was a cruel one, she decided this was the only way to live onto her life?

This kidnapper must have been a good person, she felt herself placed inside the person's lap, where he sat down in the grass and did something or another. She couldn't hear any of the conversation because she was half- unconscious and the fact that the voices were so unfamiliar. Whatever was happening was of no concern, she was going to wake up and knock him over the head, going back to where Link was. Yes, so as soon as she looked up at her captor, to see Link was staring at the sun with eyes glinted in small manner, because of the intensity. As she saw this, the hope of running was gone,

ll there was to do was sink down into his arms, cry out the words and hope for forgiveness.

"Link, I can explain!" She stared away from him, expecting maybe to be left alone in the area; to be abandoned just like she had been all those years ago, though she wasn't. Turned so she was lying on stomach, he reached for those rags and removed the pants down a little, sending a swat towards her behind. She cried out in pain and surprise, this had never happened to her in as long as she could remember why was he spanking her? Her tears formed in her eyes when she realized why, they weren't of pain or anything like that, but they were of pure happiness. Yes, to be cared about was a thing she had only dreamed of, so when he took her off his lap and saw her sobbing, he began to hold her.

She crying so badly that he couldn't help but give in and wrap arms around her waist, comforting the young girl, now back in his lap. With her so sad there was no trouble in convincing him to be nice, he didn't like swatting her, but he didn't think hit her that hard! There she sat with Navi hovering over her young body, keeping her warm incase a cold came in, but at the same time just comforting. Really all it turned out to be was a ploy to reveal that she wanted to be close to the girl, it was nice to care about someone--especially in this state. Finally the tears stopped, she hugging the both of them tightly with her embrace, but keeping herself quiet--sniffing up the tears.

Frightened and a sad little girl, while the female had slept Navi had given in account what she thought happened to the young girl during this time. From the look of things this old place had been destroyed around the time that Ganondorf had started his reign--reason she was so sad about it. That meant that maybe everyone had been killed but she had been spared, she couldn't have been much older than four or five. So, maybe she was hidden in some sort of secret room and left there to reside on, even though there was no one to raise her. All the questions had to be answered, he was so curious as what was going to happen to her, but now that didn't seem too important, comforting her was the most valuable lesson now.

With eyes faced upon the boy, those green eyes seemed to have changed a brownish colour, giving off the intention maybe she had hazel eyes, a unique feature. Such a rare colour in Hyrule, Link had never seen them before and just stared at the young girl's eyes with fascination placed in his face. There they stared at each other, her sobs having disappeared after a few minutes, that was good because pretty soon he'd have been in tears too. Well, this went on for a few more minutes before her beautiful voice rang out, the one he had desired the few hours before. Exquisite she even looked with those rags placed on her body, nothing dispelling her beautiful, clothes did not change the way she adorned.

"Link.I'm--" She trailed off, glancing up at him with a nervous smile on, the boy just running his gloved hands across her cheeks, shushing her.

"It's okay, Kaci. Link and I have a little theory on what happened, care to tell us?" The way the fairie smiled was so different, even as her boy was stroking the young girl; never did malice enter the girl's heart.

Huffing in a breath of fresh air, the girl looked over to the fairie and older boy with wishful eyes, but they just shook their heads and motioned for her to carry one. "It's true I was born there, and I was five years old when Ganondorf attacked, it was so violent, somehow he found out about us and attacked this little shack. You see this had always been a secret hiding place for us, we hid here because we were the most secretive place in all of Hyrule. What we said is true, we do truly explore the Triforce and protect it from harm, we even had guards set up in hiding that would kill the first person who touched it, though Ganondorf was different. Ganondorf and his Gerudo women burst through our forces in a matter of days, seizing the Triforce and gaining the powers of the piece. I--I don't know how I was spared, but I think that maybe my father stuck me inside of some weird container and left me alone--the people either decided to spare a child's life or they simply didn't see me."

"Knowing Ganondorf, they didn't see you. We met a Gerudo when I was a child--remember I told you? The one that pushed me off the cliff, though you are a girl, they seem to like them more than boys." Navi let out a little giggle and showed her agreement with the boy, maybe they thought she would grow stronger through this and live on.

"But Ganondorf wouldn't." Navi blurted out, her words rang true, the Gerudo King probably didn't have a problem exterminating women--there were women in the Hyrule Marketplace. "He would have killed you."

"And from there I survived, I was raised by some Hylian Shamans they raised me until I was ten years old, which they went to battle Ganondorf and never returned. I am sure they are now dead to the world, but when I was with them they explained about the Triforce even more depth and that a hero was going to be coming soon. Also they taught me how to be an Itoki, and by that I could control the spirits to my good, though I didn't do this scenery until after they left. We lived at the top of the Graveyard, a weird place that they could reach by climbing up hundreds of feet, or so it seemed. By the time they had left, they were sick of waiting and just wanted to get this over, I guess they lost their fate in the Hero of Time." She say Link wince at this, feeling the pain that he had, of course he would feel like this, but she didn't blame him in the least.

"Well, I created the scenery a few years ago because it gave me comfort, but since I am not the greatest in the world, I can't hold the image in my sleep. Only masters of this technique can hold it in their sleep, which was why I was hoping that you'd wake up before me--so I could make it beautiful again. You have every right to be angry with me, but you aren't, and it's so weird how I can be happy when I know the way I look is horrible. I know it seems so weird about the food we ate and all the games we played, I think that even though everything was an image that we did have fun." Trailing off into some small little droplets falling from her eyes, Link took her back into his arms and began to embrace her.

"Hey.did I swat you too hard down there earlier?" He smiled and kept her on his lap, not putting any pressure where he had spanked her, it would only cause her to cry more and more.

"N-no, not at all. I mean I am all right, I wasn't crying because of the pain, I was crying because someone finally showing that they care about me-- that is if you do."

"Of course I care for you, I wish I could take you with me right now on our journey, but it is much too dangerous for you, I have to find a place you can stay now. Navi?"

"How about Anjou's until we come back from the Fire Temple, then maybe she can stay on the farm with Malon? She has to be lonely out there--I dunno if Talon is back yet, but it still has to be lonely out there being the only girl on a farm--doubt she trusts boys anymore." The smile was of sadness, Link staring at his fairie for a second or two, nodding his head and turning their attention back to Kaci.

There was no time to celebrate with her, no time to ask the questions about where she would like to stay, there was nothing left to do, for soon something grabbed a hold of her, sending screeches of her down his spine. Spinning around, he caught the familiar site of someone being captured, this time it was the beautiful Kaci who was captive by something. This monster was clothed in a black cape, hiding its identify, but something about it was glowing as if it had a weird fuse on it. It was a unique monster, the thing jagged so spikes were sticking out of it, and while that happened, it reached down and threw something at them. Gathering up the young fairie, he leapt away from the spot where he was, a bomb blowing up as it hit the area he used to be, not even stopping for a fuse to light.

With no time to capture her back, or fire an arrow at the creature, it let out a small squealing sound and spun around, throwing the cape in the middle of the air. As it floated in the air it seemed to erupt into a burst of flames, smoldering to ashes before floating right before him, somehow the ashes moving together. Yes, they moved together to form some sort of word, or a list of words that spelt out a message to him and his little fairie companion. Even before they read it, the monster was gone with the girl, not getting a good look at its face, but considering it looked like a dancer made entirely out of fire. Looking back in pain, a new friend was captured, he glanced down at the ashes, catching those words that made his own blood boil as when it was before.

He was sick of this, he was sick of people getting involved for his fault, it was so sad that he just had to deal with this shit once and for all. Sick of everything, the dread coming through, Link just pushed the ashes aside, not even wanting to comprehend them in his mind. Navi was right at his side, trying to comfort him from the lost of a new friend--she was also in a bad mood, but didn't want to let it show. Not as bad as last time, the boy just curled up the fairie and smiled towards her, it wasn't so bad to have her around at all. Glancing down at what the words were, he thought that maybe they needed to head up to Death Mountain this time, not even stopping for Anju.

"Navi." His voice quavered a little, holding back the tears that should have fallen, it was so stupid for this, why did they have to take captives, but he knew the answer--they were his weakness.

"I know, Link, Anjou can wait."

"Shouldn't we tell her we are going to be bringing a little girl back to her when we return." He flashed a grin at her, making her look down for a few seconds before bursting up near his face and mimicking the smirk. Yes, they were going to get her back, no matter what anybody said, there was no way they were going to lose her like they had Mido or the Kokiiri Children. Saria had been saved from the clutches of the Phantom Ganondorf, and now they were going to perform the same act with this little girl. How he hated being like this, having to save people when their only crime was getting to know the Hero of Time, exploiting his weakness. Smashing the boots deep inside of the ground, right where the ashes had blown away, he spun around and made his way towards Anjou's new house.

        --------------------

The remainder of the day they spent venturing around town and looking for the girl named Anjou, she wasn't at her new house (the one Link stayed at.) Though as they did run around town asking for the girl, some of the women of the town would turn a light crimson and point him in any direction they thought would lead them to her. Navi was getting annoyed at this, Link didn't know why they were acting strange, and both of them were getting tired of running around. Anjou was becoming a problem, they needed to head for the City of Gorons to get a hold of the tunic that the young girl had had, and even if it was real. That's what was on his mind, if they were even real--she had said that they still existed on the city of the Gorons, but she had never been there in her lifetime.

"Why are they acting so stupid, Link?" Navi asked as they sat upon a small construction site, it looked like the one that people had been working on seven years ago. He was sitting down on the side with his legs dangling over the side of the platform that led to a seven feet drop to the ground before. Above him were boards that were starting to rot, as if the construction site had been left there since the war had broken out, so long ago. With her sitting on his hand, he was nibbling on his lunch of some dried fruit and a few extra things that the people had filled his pack with. Yes, they had refilled his canteens and supplies up to the top, he was glad that these things weren't illusions at all, they filled him up.

"I really don't know, they did this last time Anjou walked me to where the carts were coming off." He looked down at his food of the dried meats, a piece of fruit and some of the water from his canteen, gulping it down in a few minutes. As he grew so had his appetite so it was essential to fill him up so that his strength would be ready when they faced any new opponents. Leaving early had disappeared when they figured out they may need a few things form Anjou, just some very essential needs. Navi had said this; Link didn't know what these items were though if his fairie said that he needed them then he would need them. Maybe something to protect him if the damned volcano were to erupt on him and kill him, the tunic may have protected him against fire (lava was a different story.)

"Must think she is going after a younger boy." Those thoughts were raising up towards the heavens, going for her brain to infect her with those jealously marks she didn't want. Navi had promised herself that she would be grown up about this, she would take this and throw it back at that dark side of herself. Maybe everyone had a dark self, she wondered if Link had these problems with trying to be jealous of other people. Though he didn't show it, she knew that no one had ever shown the bit of romantic interest in her except Link, wishing that maybe they would to make him jealous. Of course it was bad to think that, she never wanted to hurt her hero of anything, but being wanted always would make you feel nice inside.

"I guess, but Anjou is a little old for me." He chuckled and cleared his food, watching as the fairie just shrugged a shoulder and finished off her last splash of water she was given.

"But what about me?" She giggled nervously and perched upon his hat, leaning over the edge so she could get a good look at his face, her own flushed.

"Well, that will take some time." Just a ploy to calm her down, she frowned and stuck her tongue out at him, as he shrugged a playful shoulder and jumped down the seven feet. Landing on the two walking appendages, he began to search around the town as his thoughts wondered to what she had said. It was weird, but Link was feeling more and more that attracted to the young fairie as the time went on--it was something he couldn't explain. Being with her was like wondering in a dream, one that he hoped he would never have to wake up from (the fear of losing her.) That was always apparent, not really wanting her to throw her neck out for the boy, though loving that she had totally agreed with this quest for his own sake.

When they were young he had said that they would talk about it when the quest was over, that quest was over, but soon a new one had begun. Both were connected by the infamous Ganondorf, so does that mean that they were to talk about it or wait until the two quests that entwined were over. The thoughts raced through his mind at long last he came to rest at the lady named Anjou's house, seeing no one was there, so just leaning down. As he sat there in the shade from the roof, his legs sticking out in the sun, he noticed his little fairie had sunk her down into dreamland. Pulling her off from her spot, his eyes met the lids of hers, just glancing deeply at her and trying to figure it out, it was so strange to feel this way about anything, much less a fairie.

        Why do I even put up with you? You are just as ignorant as I am; we both have some sort of blood lust, and refuse to show our tears infront of each other. Why do we even put up with each other, I always heard that opposites attracted each other, but we are two of the same kind. Of the same liter, the only problem before was that I was a Kokiiri and was to remain a child forever, but now I am a Hylian. Unless the Deku magic decides to make me a child (which I don't think I want to go back to being) we are even more apart than before. I just don't know anymore, should I leave you here and continue on my journey alone, or would you follow me to the vast of earth?

        You've put up with my selfish nature for so long, that would you follow me into the bowels of a volcano just to rescue a girl that I like. But you like her too, don't you? I mean, you wouldn't want a child to die, I haven't even seen you mad at the affection I show to her and that she shows to me. It's strange, isn't it, how I can just sit here and think about leaving you when I know the simple fact is that I could never leave you. It is either a curse or a gift, which one I haven't the slightest idea in, but the beautiful factor has to be we are stuck with each other. Maybe I want you to be my fairie the rest of my life, or maybe I want you to leave me tomorrow, I can't really decide which one would be better. For now we shall put up with each other until the day I die or that you die (whichever one comes first), though I can tell you this: you aren't a burden at all, you are a ray of sunshine in my gloomy existence.

        Link pulled from his pocket the renewed Fairie Ocarina and began to practice the old tunes of the world, the ones that he had learned as a child. Even playing that new song that he had learned, the place seeming to get darker than before, a storm starting to brew in the distance. The Song of Storms he had dubbed the newly acclaimed song, it was true to its words for within the fifteen minutes he had been thinking, and a storm did brew in. The wind and rain causing him to brush up against the house and hoping maybe the storm would cause the young woman to come home. He so wished they could get inside the house and wait until tomorrow to leave, he needed himself a good night's sleep before he faced his foes on the dreaded mountain.

        Whatever happened next was up to the Goddesses, whatever their plan was had to be decided by them and the power he pulled from inside. Of course Link hated them, he never honored them and took their names in vain whenever he had the chance, hell both of them did that. Though there was one reason he could love the Goddesses, there was one reason that he would always think of them with such regard. Navi was that reason, destiny and the holy ones from above had brought that to him and with that they were united in the bond of defeating evil. At any time he would let her leave, if she got scared and wanted to rest for sometime--of course he would let her go back to the forest. Going back might sadden him and cause him to venture into the land and die, but he wouldn't put that guilt on her, he would never.

        The hero was sitting at the building since noon that afternoon and at four o'clock that afternoon was when he called the storm, the girl coming exactly fifteen minutes later. Anjou must have been doing something that required the sun like gardening or something, because she was soon soaked with the rain. No umbrella to protect her--not that Link had one--he awoke his fairie with a soft kiss as he saw her running towards her house in the distance. When her eyes met his, they seemed to fill up with joy as she took off in a run for him, trying to reach him faster than the house. To Link's surprise, when the little fairie came out and floated around, staring around the area, that was when Anjou stopped dead in her tracks, looking dumbfounded.

        Older woman did eventually reach him, walking slower than when she was trotting to the house; as if not caring she would get wet. Link had pulled his ocarina back into its case and headed down after her, grabbing her hand and dragging her back towards the house as she reached to unlock the door. Him and his fairie just glanced at her with confusion as she slipped the door open and stepped inside the darkened house, the two of them following her. When at last the candles were lit within the house with matches, she collapsed down in the larger house and stared at them with a smile planted on her face. Link slipped off all his armour and stared in the downward direction at her, his face still smoothed out in the collection of curiosity.

        --------------------

        How could she have thought that he was coming alone to see her, of course he had said that his fairie was recovering from some wounds last time. Even though that was a week or so ago, she still expected her to be back in healing, not really knowing how long it took a fairie to recover. She just expected after the last time that he might develop something for the older woman, even though she knew he was asleep when it happened. Just so crushed when she put eyes on the young fairie, feeling a twinge of jealously in her body, also happy to see an old friend after seven years. Now they were inside, she tried to cheer herself and smiled at the two of them letting out a small sigh of happiness, true feelings were hid inside of her.
        Tucked inside of the warm house was something that she hoped they were used too, for she was going to show them the best hospitality she had. Yea, she would give them a show they would love, it wasn't like they did anything bad to deserve this somber mood she was in. Staring at the two of them, settled on a new couch she had purchased, the jealously that was within her heart melted away in an instant. As they stared at each other, Anjou knew that she had no chance for the boy (she was under-qualified for him, that was apparent.) No point in trying that, the pain she had was hidden within her heart while a smile beamed upon her face and in the two's direction.

        "So what brings you two back to Kakariko." Sitting down in a new chair that she had gone, it was only a small table that separated them, watching as the young boy looked to his fairie then spoke.

        "We are on our way to the Fire Temple, which we imagine is inside of Death Mountain somewhere. Only problem is we need to go to the City of Gorons and see if they have an Adult Fire Tunic so I don't smother to death." Her shrugged a limber shoulder and glanced her way, seeing something hidden within her face, though he didn't want to pry, so away he stopped and watched as his fairie continued.

        Navi didn't speak, Link had thought she was going too, but the young girl just stared over at the older woman and studied her expression without flaw. Something was wrong with her, a very deep something--the way she stared and smiled at Link was that way a person smiled when they were hiding something. Her boy couldn't sense it, but she could sense it, though she didn't want to know the truth at all, all she wanted to do was going to bed. Ignoring her boy's thoughts, the young girl fluttered up into the hat, bent down and kissed his cheek before sliding down back into the bed. As she was slid into the pelt of the hat, Navi knew what was wrong and she just hated how this Anjou was hiding, wanting them to leave right now, though to tired to protest it.

        Even the voices were coming in, screaming at her for not to fall asleep for something terrible would happen to the boy if she did. Not terrible to him, but horrible for her it would ruin her life and literally kill her--though she didn't even heard their trembling voices. Those stupid things weren't going to win this time, for if they didn't trust their boy, but the fact of the matter was that she trusted him. Taking a glance at the felt of turquoise she was wrapped in, surrounded in the darkness, she could hear the silence and took it as bliss. Whatever was going down there was her business--of course it was her own business--but that didn't meant she didn't want any interaction with it.

        "Hm, she fell asleep?" His eyes roamed over towards the hat, not really able to see it actually, though he knew she was stuck inside of there, in her sleep.

        "Yea, guess she was tired, so what do you want to do?" Anjou clasped her hands in her lap and stared forward, it was not really late, she just couldn't understand why the girl was going to sleep.

        "Me? Well, I haven't eaten dinner or anything, so do you have anything to eat?" Link was sort of greedy that way, it was true he could be sort of a pig in some situations, but the truth of the matter he was tired too. It was so stupid what had happened earlier, he just wanted a good night's sleep and to take out in the morning reborn like a Phoenix. As he sat there with his stomach growling for food, not even caring if he got it or not--right now all he wanted was some good old sleep. Seeing that she was getting up to get some leftovers she had, or some stuff that was put up, though he saw that she was glad to serve him. Maybe she was lonely during the seven years and thought he was her one true friend, and he seemed to like that, after all Anjou was a very sweet person.

        Anjou didn't even speak; she simply nodded her head and jumped up, heading towards the new kitchen to prepare a meal for him. A natural house- wife, if she would get married she could of made any man happy with her ability to cook and clean whenever the time seem right. Yup she would have made a wonderful cook and maid if she would take up the jobs, though she didn't like cooking and cleaning for money--she thought it deserved no rewards. Whipping up some quick food, she prepared some fresh steak and even added in some fruit with the food (since Cuccos were gone, no more egg.) How she adored eggs, it would have been an honour to prepare them for him, but as she brought the food back to him, there were none.

        Pulling out the plate and some silverware, she brought them for the boy, he looked at the food he had never tasted and began to munch down on it slowly. Enjoying the food that happened to have a few spices, he suckled down the Lon Lon Milk that was shipped here recently, loving the fresh taste it gave. With that down, he finished the meat quickly and ate his fruit just as fast, finishing off the milk with a sigh of relief pushed out. Staring down at the plate, he left a little bit for the young fairie, wrapping it up inside of a napkin and placing it into one of his pockets. With that out of the way, the boy watched as she took the plates into the kitchen and yelled for him to do whatever he wanted while she cleaned up the kitchen and some other rooms.
        Shifting all his clothes off, even the suit and leaving only a pair of undergarments on for the keeping, he placed them right on the kitchen cabinet and yelled he was going to bathe. There he even slipped the undergarments off and had everything off but his little hat, taking it with him to the bathe area, noticing the change in size. The bathtub was much bigger than before, the other one he had bathed in wouldn't have even supported him with his new girth he had gained. With the hat put aside, he reached in for Navi and soaked inside the hot water that he drew, loving the feel of a bath, how it felt. He had had baths long after Lon Lon, but none as good as this one and the farm one had been (the others had been in lakes, streams and the Kokiiri bath-house.

        --------------------

        With the bath put aside and everything else cleaned in the house, he was given his clothes a few hours later with everything clean and ready for the trip. Although he had been cleaned the night before, this time was for walking around in the rain and the sweat he put up for searching for Anjou. Nothing happened after that, the young boy going to sleep on the long couch that they had rested on a few hours later, Anjou in her bed. Although she was saddened by the events that they didn't get to be together, she knew it was for the best and that in the end everything would work out. With that in mind, they both slept soundly, the young fairie slept just as peacefully, waking up during the middle of the night and munching down the food in his pocket before resting down again.

        The next morning he was awakened at seven o'clock (like he requested) and that was when she presented him with something that he'd need. Navi had suggested it earlier on, maybe when Link wasn't listening, or maybe she even awoke during the night and asked the young girl. Anyway, Anjou presented him with a long black cape, a small holder that clicked to his collar, this no ordinary cape, though. Made of the hide of a Dodongo, Navi had seen it in her room so long ago, the cape having belonged to the girl's great-grandfather when he was a warrior. This thing wasn't made of the hide, it was softer and refined as if it was made with some other material with the ancient dinosaur.

        With thanks in mind, the boy slipped the dark cape upon his body, which reached down upon his ankles so he wouldn't have to slip upon it. The cape was beautiful, on the inside it was red so that he could reverse it around and hide in places that were red, not that that would ever happen. Anjou explained the cape prevented fire attacks, magma attacks and would protect you from certain enemies that were fired-based. The Kesse came to both of their minds, but she told the most important part of the cape--it protected you better than any tunic because it blocked those fiery rocks. Rocks that had fallen on him back in the old days, the ones that scared him to death (they were blocked) something those stupid tunics couldn't do, not that he still didn't need it.

        Navi explained this didn't mean that they didn't need the tunic, they still needed it, but if it weren't there, this would protect him from getting killed. Yes, that was all true what they said, plus they also mentioned that with the tunic and cape he would be more invulnerable to fire than even the ancient dinosaurs. This excited him; not able to contain his excitement, so he gave the older girl a long hug as they wandered up towards the gates. Lonely gates were just as barren as the day he had walked up them for the first time, still dreading the path to the trial, knowing he would have to go on this on foot. They had been walking up here and headed for the trail to Death Mountain, now reaching it when the end of her explanation had disappeared.

        "Link, I have a surprise. We found it on the trail and noticed something about it was yours." Opening her hands, she let out a giggle when a snort sounded in the air, the boy and his fairie spinning around into the eyes of Epona. He let out a small laugh and hugged his horse tightly, she nipping at his face and throwing him back on his back, letting out a long neigh of pleasure. When they had first approached Kakariko, the mare didn't want to come, she had shook her head and taken off back in the direction of Lon Lon. He had guessed that at the time it was the ash coming out of Death Mountain and the fact that she knew they were heading to the mountain. Now here she was here with him, giving her courage up and risking her own neck on the line to just to help him--a true matter of courage.

        Surprise was even gleamed on Navi's face as she nuzzled within the mare's hair, the horse already accustomed by the fairie, even though she had no veil on now. At first Epona hated the veil, even when it wasn't on (she knew who had the veil) and wouldn't let her ride that much on the mane of her. Now she was all right with it, happy to see the two of them after two whole days and showing it by screaming out another neigh of pleasure. Just a happy picture this was with the horse, the warrior and even the beautiful fairie who would save the world from the land. Courage was flowing from all three of them, she knew the horse would be scared to come on an even more active volcano, though she had braved the odds and pressed her dreams to help Link.

        The duo waved their goodbye to the lady named Anjou as she just nodded her head and waved back, tears of sadness rolling down her cheeks. Link sighed and gave one last sigh before resting his head on the mane of his creature and beginning to descend up the mountain. Nothing was in the way when they entered this rocky path, no enemies or those giant boulders that they had run across the last time they were here. From the speed that Epona traveled on the mountain, they would be to the city in less than a day, maybe a full day if she walked slowly when they slept. That was okay with them, they were in no hurry to go to the mountain, they just wanted to be on the way and take as much time as possible, to reach the place whenever. Going up the mountain did take only a day at the most, it about nine o'clock in the morning when they reached the flag and the pillars of the Gorons just around the corner. They were a little late because during the night Epona just stopped and rested for an hour or two, not that that was a bad thing. He didn't want to seem a both (knowing the Gorons were kidnapped), so he left some food and water to last Epona for at least a week. Nodding to the horse, he tied her over at the pole and pointed for her to say, saying that he would be back as soon as possible. Receiving a nip on the ear, shivering in quick response, the boy patted her mane with the sleeping Navi and continued onward the path.

        --------------------

"It's worse than I thought." Link spoke as Navi stared at the place in fear, the large stone that rested outside of the city was smashed into pieces, and something of immense strength pounded it into the ground. They weren't even inside this place and Link could smell the death in the air, no bodies around, but the use of the special crops was apparent. Taking a few glances around the room, he walked through the path that led to the city's entrance, grimacing at the splashes of blood that were on the walls right before he entered. The Gorons had probably rebelled against Ganondorf and with Daruina as the leader Link knew they would have done it eventually. The Kokiiri would have given in and with the Hylian King dead so would of those people, hell even the King Zora would have done it, but not Daruina.

"Link, let's go." He had just started staring at the walls in silence, gripping at his wrists, noticing for the first time that his bracelet was gone, the Zora one still remained though.

"Yea, you're right. Goddess, I can't believe this happened, they should of known that Ganondorf was more powerful than them, how stupid can they be!" Slamming his fist into the side of the wall, a bit of it chipped off and slid down to the ground, a small little map appearing before him. No, it wasn't map; it was something painted on the wall in some red paint, on further inspection revealing that it was actually blood. Link didn't want to read it--he truly didn't, but he knew if he didn't than he would regret it for the rest of his life, so he took a deep breath and deciphered. Gulping, he looked at the runics, seeing they were in the Hylian normal language and began to read them to him with shivers. As soon as he was done, he turned away from there and threw up some bile, puking his guts out on the other side of the room, to not shame Navi with his tears.

Somehow the two of them could read the Hylian language; maybe they were taught it when they were asleep, that was a possibility. Of course there were other possibilities to consider, they did find themselves a bit smarter than when they were in the younger bodies. Glancing up towards the words, she could see why he was crying, there a bunch of curses and cries of pain of what he was going to do to the Gorons and the new little bundle he had gathered. Navi considered that was Kaci, so she just sniffed a little, reading that the monster named Ganondorf was going to feed the Goron race to a creature called Volvagia as a warning to others races. A creature in a language that she had never heard of, the world was as unfamiliar as anything in this new world, but knowing it couldn't be a good monster.

The letter was even signed with the sign that they saw on the Milk Carts and said in the words 'Ganondorf', though they were in the Gerudo language. How Navi even knew that was beyond her, she guessed that they could read every language now since they were supposed to be the heroes. Pulling the block back up in place so that no one could read this horrible mess, she gathered herself up and floated over towards the boy. Being yanked into an embrace, he dried himself off with the veil she turned on, kissed the tears off of the barrier and turned towards the entrance. With only a sword and shield at his body, love within his heart, he was destined to find that tunic and get the hell out of this new temple, so he ran into the abyss.

Out of the fire and into the lava pit, that was a terrific way to describe this place, the smell of death even harsher inside of this place. Down each pillar were bloodstained everywhere, lumps of Gorons in piles (covered with sheets to honour them) he knew the Gerudo weren't like this. So maybe there was someone still alive, and that rung true in his heads as he stared forward where the Spiritual Stone pillar used to be, cut down and at the bottom of the pillars. Well, in this knew form, he didn't bother walking down the paths, he just scaled down the arena since holes were now in the walls. As if Ganondorf himself had used magic here to blow this place up, the place was easier to get too and when he reached the bottom of the pillar, it had only been thirty minutes.

"Link what's that!" Navi was right at his side and pointed over to the left, where there was a lump of a Goron, not covered up and shaking like it was alive.

"Wow, a Goron! It must be the one that covered the rest up!" Racing out towards it, the boy tapped the Goron on the shoulder, the thing taking off in a spin and running around the whole first floor, slamming into the wall. As it hit the wall, it covered the entrance that led up so all it could do was spin around the room, coming towards the boy every now and then. Well, it seemed it was mad at him for some reason, maybe thinking he was one of Ganondorf's men back to finish the job. This stupid rock-eater had an attitude problem and Link was about to solve that, so when it came close, Link slammed the sword right down into it. That was a mistake, he should have known about the hide of the Goron, for all it did was make the sword shiver with vibrations.

With her boy still shaking, the fairie took it into her own hands to get rid of the menace, reaching for one of the bombs and propelling it towards the lump. As it was coming, the bomb should have ricocheted and gone off to explode in their faces, but it didn't since she wasn't aiming at him. Aiming at him was what Link would have done the first time if he hadn't used his sword, but since he was incapacitated at the moment, it was her job. She was actually aiming the direction he was going (right away from them) and when it ran over the bomb was when the scream came out. A piercing scream of confusion and pain, the monster rolled over into the wall, slumping up and turning towards the couple that had hit him, Navi giving the boy a high-five, who had come back to his senses.

"How dare you! How dare you punish the great son of Daruina! Feel my name and tremble.I am Link!" The little Goron piped out, having the same look of the rock-eater that had helped him get to Daruina's place when he was younger. Yup, except this one didn't have any facial hair and was a wee bit smaller than the other one (the one probably some sort of adult.) This was a kid, as it seemed with the squeaky voice and the way he rubbed his skin from the bomb that he was just fine, but overall with the tough skin he wasn't hurt. Link just stared at him with his hands at his side, whispering to himself that he had heard what he thought he had heard--were his ears deceiving him. Daruina's son was the only one alive, although he didn't have a son when Link was around, the kid had to be only seven years old.

"Link? What in Goddesses' name are you talking about? My friend's name here is Link." Navi stared at the young Goron, trying to get it through her mind until it clicked: Daruina had named his son after the Dodongo Buster.

"What? Your name is Link too? Then you must be the legendary Link who killed the evil Dodongo's long ago?" Link just smiled an impish grin and shrugged a shoulder as if he was so innocent, the Goron letting out a cry of job and getting on his knees infront of the boy. Eh, maybe he was a sucker for the public now that he was grown, but he sure did love when people talked about his past adventures. Grinning down at the boy, he nodded his head to him, which made another screech of joy enter his lips, this one of pure affection. Reaching down inside of his pack, he asked him if he would give him his autograph, making it out to his friend 'Link of the Gorons.' Signing the paper, giving his first autograph as the Hero of Time, he looked down at the boy who wasn't smiling anymore, he was sulking.

With his lips turning grim, he turned away and burst into a handful of sobs, backing away from the two and putting his direction away from them. Taking a deep breath of sadness, the boy wiped the tears from his beady little blackened eyes and glanced at the man with hopeful eyes. Link didn't know what he wanted him to do, but he guessed it had to do with the race that had been captured by the dreaded Ganondorf. Well, he answered his prayers by nodded his head at the young boy, who broke down in sobs once more, sensing Link's curiosity. This caused Link to stare down at the boy in confusion, why was he sad if he had met the guy that he was named after--just now realizing the situation.

"Link, he's crying. Maybe you should ask him what's wrong?" Navi saw Link shake his head in a little confusion; he was being stubborn now and really didn't want to comfort the boy. So while he just slumped down to the ground to think of another way to do something, Navi fluttered over to the boy's face and asked what was wrong. Nothing he spoke this time, not even hearing the little sprite until she got close to the hole in his head and screamed out his name. The boy didn't speak at first, he was too busy trying to catch his tears and finally when he did, he slumped down right next to Link. Speaking to both of them, mostly his hero though, he began to tell the tale of exactly what had happened to the Gorons and Ganondorf.

"Well, father was out on business about less than a week ago when something terrible happened. Ganondorf and his women came here and demanded that we hand over something called a medallion, it was weird but since you had the Fire Medallion, we had no idea what he meant, so we said we didn't have it. That was when he captured the entire race, killing those who rebelled and in the process I hid within the shadows so he couldn't find me. Actually, I hid in my dad's room, the one that couldn't be opened without the tune of the royal family, so no one even knew I was there. I know I was cowardly, I do know that, but I'm no fighter, I couldn't kill the great Ganondorf even if I tried."

"You did the right thing, kid. I am the only one that can kill Ganon, and even sometimes I'm not sure. So where is old Daruina now? I wanna talk to him about something." Link didn't approve of calling the boy after himself; 'kid' was something that he would refer to the later version of the name.

"Yea, yea. I know. Well, dad got back about three days ago and was in out- raging form. He helped me cover and preserve the bodies so that when he gets back we can go and bury them. Well, he went to the old Fire Temple, because that is where Volvagia has been revived. I know you don't know whom that is, so I'll tell you the legend of it." From the look in Link's eyes, the boy knew that he wanted to know more about this monster, one of evil abominations, that deserved no mercy. "Volvagia is a legendary dragon that was here centuries ago, he was killed by the fated hero by a magical hammer, well father has gone to the temple to kill the creature, and he doesn't have the hammer, so I am worried."

"Let me guess, you want me to go and vanquish the enemy? Well, I shall go do that, but I need some protection." The boy nodded in compensation and rushed off towards the small room where his father resided, not returning in about five minutes. Navi suggested that maybe he was being held up, so the courage-holder just nodded and got ready to head down there where the kid was. After that he was getting sick of waiting so he took off after the boy, ignoring the bodies in the corners and running through the familiar darkness until he ran upon the room. There the Goron named Link was rummaging through some drawers, looking for something, as Link leaned back and watched him work. It wasn't like he was going to go work for the boy, he was supposed to kill some magical dragon with an evil hammer (or however he said it.)

Ten more minutes of going through the room and the now mussed up place was emptied out before the Goron pulled out something that was shining red, blowing the dust off. Knocking all the dust from it, he turned towards Link and unfolded the piece of cloth for him, checking for any moths that might have gotten it. No, the thing was beautiful in all its glory, a tunic that matched his to every aspect, except the signal that Kaci had sowed on was replaced by the mark that was on the bomb signal. Yup, he was readapted into the race of the Gorons, or maybe that was how he made it look, not that he wasn't fine with that. Glancing at the tunic, it would fit his own, he knew that the green one would have to come off and then the new one would take its place.

"This is the legendary fire tunic of the Gorons, I don't remember how we got it, but they were reserved for when a Hylian had to journey with dad in Death Mountain."

"Oh, we know where." Navi blurted out, not revealing her content and leaving the Goron in the dark as Link slipped the green tunic off and slipped the red one on. Tying it tightly so that it fit just right, he put the old one inside of his satchel, slapping it shut so that it wouldn't become hurt in the mountain. There was no way he was going to let his baby be hurt by this stupid fire, that was his own one that he would always wear with pride. As he checked himself out in the new little mirror that Daruina had set up in the right-hand corner, the Goron slammed his foot into the small statue. That little figure gave away and slid down into the ground, revealing a path of blackness--one Link had never encounter before.

Link gave a gasp and spun around in confusion, seeing that the new door way was in his path, obviously a secret entrance of some sort. The heat was radiating down all over his body, it was weird, but probably glad he wouldn't have to slide down the descent of the volcano. With a nod, he was about to walk towards the door (already feeling the warmth of the volcano wash over his body) when the Goron gave out a cry. Well, that meant something, it wasn't a bad cry or anything, so he just leaned up against the wall, watching as the boy dug through the paths. A new item was just fine with him, whatever he could use would make him worthwhile, though he had a question and passed it out.

"What about Navi?" His fairie turned towards him and looked at him questioningly, but the boy was just worried about his young companion more than anything was.

"Navi? Who is Navi?" Link-Goron spoke out, digging through a small trunk that had had the tunic in it, growling out in the Goron language when he got something that wasn't needed.

"My fairie, kid. What about her health in the volcano, I mean she doesn't have a tunic." Navi's eyes brightened up in surprise, she hadn't even thought of that!

"Y-yea, I can't regularly breathe." Navi spoke out for the first time, glancing over at the kid to see what he was doing, but from the looks of things it was hard to tell. With a glance towards her partner, her cheeks began to flush, bringing that veil on as the boy turned around for a second to see them. Maybe it was when he saw the veil for the first time, which those hands went up and snapped those small, chubby fingers moving in a particular fashion. The snap went off, and he reached inside of another trunk, yanking out a bit of red powder, pulling it from a small purple pouch. Pouch went out and sprinkled the red powder upon the fairy's veil, reacting to it, she began to sneeze and convulse a little bit.

"Hey, what did you do to her!" Jumping up from where he leaned, he tackled the boy to the ground, overwhelming the young Goron by more power. Raising a fist at the monster, he demanded that he tell him what the hell was happening to his fairie, Link acted as if she was dying. He stared down at the boy with those eyes pushed in determination, the fairy's veil remaining while she sneezed louder, and finally the sneezes stopped. By that time, the boy had accidentally knocked the young one out, him leaning against the door with stars dazed in his eyes. Spinning around, he caught her aura and saw that instead of the beautiful blue from before, it had mutated into a ruby veil.

Navi fluttered over towards the mirror and stared at her aura, mesmerized at how she looked, the veil disappearing and checking out her new performance. The skin and everything was the same, her hair was still the blue that it had been before, and the aura the only part of her that had changed red. Now, however, her appearance was much more different than it had before for her hair was a different style than it had been before. Staring at the hair, it wasn't a bad change at all, her hair had gotten a lot shorter than before and now only stopped at her neck-line. So much for being mean, she fluttered with the veil off and spun around her friend's face, speaking that she was also fine and well.

Words weren't spoken as he got off of the young Goron, who was obviously going to be out for a few hours, his hands going open for her. Not even waiting for her to come to him, he tackled over towards her, curling up the fairie in her hands and noticed her size was different than before. Four inches is what she had been when they stepped through the portal with the new bodies, now she was a gleaming five and a half inches. It was so weird, she was almost half a foot now, which didn't mind in the least in the young hero's mind, it was more to have. Clothes had also changed, the little skirt-shirt combination was now red along with her aura, and the skin still as pale as it was before.

"Navi, you are bigger than before!" He squealed a little, and fell down upon the ground, laying the girl on his shoulder as he dug through the trunks that the boy had been through.

"What do you mean?" Fluttering over towards the mirror, eyes set a wide when she saw how big she really was, she squealed and slammed down into his head, causing the head to slam into the wall. Gasping out in sense of distress, she readied herself over towards him, whom he shook his head back and forth, noticing that a hole was in a wall. Whoa, that caused a since of distress to go through their minds, finding out it wasn't a stone wall at all, some sort of fake one. With closer exception of looking inside of it, there seemed to be a note attached to a sort of satchel, but this one had handles on it, so that it could go over his back. A backpack was what it was called, something that Link had heard of in his time, though they were a rare delicacy, made of beautiful leather and just as big as his were own.

"Link, I'm sorry!" Leaning over and kissing the forehead of her boy's, she went over towards the note and picked it up, reading it silently to herself.

"It's fine, Navi, it's fine! But what is this, I've heard of these somewhere." Slipping the shield and scabbard for the sword, he placed the backpack on both shoulders, seeing that it could fit him so easily.

Handing the note over to the boy, he picked it up and read it to himself, realizing that he could even read this old Goron language on the note, speaking out. "Wow, this is so weird, so Daruina left this for me? Guess last time he didn't like my satchel, maybe he thought I might be coming back, it looks new." Grinning at the girl, he examined the backpack one last time, slumping to the ground and took out his satchel, emptying all the crap inside. With all the stuff gone, he put the materials he used to sleep in the main part of the bag, pushing old stuff like the dagger, cooking-ware, food and drink in the side pockets. The beautiful pack even had a small little tie-string that could be fastened shut so that it would never leak, and from the looks of things it was waterproof. Of course it had to be fireproof from the way that it was made, maybe made out of something that came from the old Dodongo.

"Wow, this will really help us out, you can just fasten your shield under it so it can't be hurt." He nodded with a smile and slipped the backpack on his back again, and this time slipped the scabbard right infront of it, connecting that to the shield. With all his stuff on, it was actually less weighted than the stupid satchel, which he kicked in the corner now, staring out towards the blackness. Kneeling down to the boy, he wrote a quick note with the pen he always kept, careful to make sure his ocarina and notes were in the new bag. It wasn't like he would leave anything like this behind, so that was where he stored the ocarina and the notes in the middle pack with his sleeping gear. Instead of in the side pack with the other stuff (yea he kept those things, of course he would always keep the pack with his weapons.)

Stuff was already set, he was ready for the temple that was to come, and so he turned towards his fairie with a finger pointing at her veil. Admiring the new look, he sort of felt bad he knocked out the kid, but at least he showed that he was the better one for the name. Grinning at the bright red barrier went on, the smell of the veil was that of cinnamon, something that he not only dealt with enjoyed without any doubt. Breathing a small breath of fresh air, he felt around for the symbol of the Goron and pressed a button, something sounding up and making the tunic glow. Whatever it was, maybe it made his breathing with the smoke better than with regular lung, that was good for he ran through the entrance.

        --------------------

        "My Goddess, I am glad we have these improvements." For miles and miles around all there was downward trailed molten lava in all different directions, far away from them, thank Goddess. Navi had spoken those words as they stared around the scenery; very surprised at the way this volcano was shaped, as if someone had built this place. Well, of course this place had been built, the temple was maybe built by the ancient Gorons to honor the Goddess of Fire, Din. Where they were sat up was on a large pillar, staring down would lead you into a world of lava and actually a place with the triangle upon it. Triangle must have meant like the place near the Forest Temple, so they might have to be able to warp there with that nice song by Shiek.

        Link wasn't looking at the signal, he was surveying that all around him were bridges that led down a path, not following them, but watching as the bridge broke off. When it broke off, the person who somehow got across was able to lead a path down towards the end of sanction (that led to the pillar with the triangles on it.) Not able to see what was on the platform, aside the Triforce symbol, he glanced at large rocks all in the lava and maybe able to hop across them. Getting across was the first priority, before even considering what the temple was located, though he had some sort of idea. Right across from the platform (south of it, north of it was lava) led to a long path to some sort of brick wall with a hole chiseled inside of it, he guessed that was the entrance.

        "Link, the Bolero of Fire! It'll warp up without the worry of getting there with burns." She remembered the tune by heart, going inside his pack and yanking out the ocarina, throwing it over towards him (the Ocarina of Time.) Snatching the blue cremation instrument, the first thing that he did was think in his mind back to the tune and that he wasn't supposed to play it. No, that was before he found out able to vest so now it was all right to play the tune, he could breathe in these nasty fumes without harm. Yup, that was a good sign of being friends with people, he could have some trusty allies and weapons that were at his arms. The cape that he had received was under the shield and all the mess, so that all his weapons were hidden from view, though the sword hilt pressed out of the way so he could retrieve it easily.

        Remembering the tune quickly with no avail to the paper somewhere in his new pack, Link blew out the lively tune that reminded one of a Spanish beat. With that in mind, the tune danced through his lips, his entire body beginning to feel as warm as when he had transported with the Prelude song. Giving into the warmth, he disappeared from the spot, Navi almost thinking she wouldn't come though she vanished along with him. There was darkness as they traveled, not knowing where he was or where he would end up, though he did have a pretty good idea. At long last, his feet touched the ground after what seemed like years, sitting feet upon the platform of gray, examining the signal.

        The Triforce symbol was that of fire, confirming that facts that this indeed was one of the legendary temples that Shiek had spoke of. No more denying that fact, he stared up and caught the inside of the volcano, giving confirmation that the path had led inside of Death Mountain. How could it be since they were still in the middle was beyond him, question the pondering to his young fairie, whom answered. Well, she didn't at first because she was beginning to think about it, first snapping out of the daze of glancing around the entire room. This place was so warm, though it felt not at all like the inside of a volcano would, it was carved and made into a temple, that gave way that no one would ever enter this temple, no intruders.

        "Well, I think because this is the center of the volcano, Link, I mean we are nearest to the lava, though because usually its incased in the rock, we never felt it whenever we were in the city. That rock may have bee