Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, locations, or elements that are found in other Nintendo Zelda games.

…was that a dream? Link suddenly bolted up in his bed, trying to remember what happened before he got there. He vaguely recalled an adventure, but he couldn't be sure whether it happened or not. It was a vivid dream… and he saved a bunch of people.

Link looked around his little hut, and a patch of sunlight crept across the floor toward the foot of his bed. He was used to unusual dreams, but this one was so vivid he swore it actually happened. He started shooting arrows by the field, and then the town was on fire.

He shrugged and closed his eyes, feeling unusually tired. He was supposed to meet with Sahasrahla that day, but those pointless magic lessons could wait.

Magic…

I used magic last night in my dream! Suddenly energized, he quickly arose from his bed, and noticed he was still wearing his traveling clothes – he always had a pair of brown boots, a green tunic, a white long-sleeve shirt underneath, and a running hood.

His heart pulsed rapidly with excitement… that wasn't a dream, he thought. I really did use magic! I'm the town hero!

Link couldn't wait to receive the praise around town. He had stopped the work of an arsonist... no, two arsonists! He got annoyed the two people got away, running away from the town.

But why wouldn't the fire go out with water? And why wouldn't anyone answer?

Perplexed, but determined to be the hero, Link walked proudly out of his hut. He was greeted by a crowd of people… of course, he thought.

…but the people weren't happy. Many were bearing threatening objects, like a shovel or a Deku stick. Suddenly, the crowd erupted into fits of screams.

"GET HIM! Show him what it's like to be trapped!" shouted Heraeth, the village priestess.
"Take your magic elsewhere you…" screamed Tallon, the rancher.

"Wait, you don't understand…" Link tried to butt in, but his neighbors-turned-haters wouldn't let him. He searched frantically for Aryll or Sahasrahla, but he couldn't find them.

"Light him on fire!"
"Banish him, we don't need him."
"All these years I let him feed my cuccos. I'm surprised he didn't light them on fire."

"Stop it, stop it! I saved you…" Link shouted.

"Hey Hero of Time, go save another village and leave us alone!"

"Enough", exclaimed a quiet voice. The crowd grew silent. An old man hobbled through the mob toward Link. With a cane in his hand, a ruby war pennant on his vest, and a sapphire stopwatch, the man had an aura that projected dignity and order.

"Sahasrahla…" Link whispered. Finally, the old man, no, friend of his would fix the situation. His daughter Aryll walked behind him through the crowd and waited, followed by another female that Link did not know.

"Now what is this all about? Did any of you see what this young man actually did last night?" Sahasrahla asked. Link was nervous; he wasn't even entirely sure what he did last night. The crowd stayed quiet, until one young boy stepped forward.

"I saw him, and then half of the village was on fire. He was doing a dance, and his arms were stretched out, keeping us immobilized while our homes burned," uttered the short boy, whose flaming red hair stood out amongst the townspeople. Link immediately distrusted him.

"As it so happens, young lad, I too saw Link last night. He first awoke me and asked for help, but I was too tired. Nonetheless, I watched him from my window as he tried to put out the fire with water, bucket by bucket, but by Din he failed." The crowd hung onto the every word of Sahasrahla, not quite as eager to use their weapons of choice.
"Then, we both prayed to the heavens. He stretched his arms out, and put out the fire. I walked out to greet him, and I helped the boy back to his house." Link was annoyed at being called boy, but grew curious... how did he know what happened the previous night? His story was only loosely true. Before pondering further, Sahasrahla continued.
"Does this really need a criminal investigation? That's exactly the behavior that started the Great War."

The old man coughed, and when it appeared he was done, the boy with the red hair spoke up. "Then who started the fire?"

"Oh... some things are better left unasked, young man. For all we know, it could have been our friend Rylet, who had one too many and knocked over his candle. " The crowd suddenly turned toward a portly man of 30, who looked bewildered. A murmur arose in the crowd, but without any further answers, the people returned toward their daily activities. After a few minutes, the only people remaining outside of the hut were Link, Aryll, Sahasrahla, and a hooded woman who had not said a word.

"Link, congratulations for finally doing magic! All of those years of training finally paid off. Now if only you could hold onto that sword, you might have a chance at beating me in a duel." Aryll joked as she walked back to her hut. Link watched as she left, and noticed the boy with red hair was watching their every movement from behind the bushes.

"Good work there. Never give any more truth than you have to." Sahasrahla warned Link. "I'll be back later for your magic lesson. Pardon me while I walk my friend to her destination." Without warning, the old man and the hooded woman walked toward the road out of town. Link was about to walk after them, but he wasn't in the mood. He would have a chance later on to ask all of the questions on his mind. Still, most of the village didn't really like him at the moment, and he had nothing planned for the day, so he walked toward Aryll's shop to take her up on her offer.

He glanced toward the bushes where the boy was standing, but he was not there. Shrugging, Link trudged down the main pathway through town. As he reached the wooden bridge over the stream, he heard a loud splash, followed by a "HELP!"

Link ran over to the side of the bridge, and saw the boy with the red hair struggling to stay afloat in the raging stream. "I CAN'T SWIM, HELP!"

Without thinking, Link jumped headfirst into the water. He knew the stream led into the Upper Zora River less than a mile from town, and he had to help the boy before he got trapped in the dangerous waterway.

Dodging rocks, waves, and skullfish, Link swam as quick as he could to reach the boy. He followed the red hair as intently as he could, but was distracted when a skullfish swam right in front of him and bit his finger. He pushed the fish to the side, but then the boy was gone. Link dove into the stream - fifteen feet deep by that point - and in the distance he saw the boy descending into the waters; a rock stopped him from floating further, and Link momentarily paused as he pondered whether or not to leave the boy there. He did unfairly question my friend, after all.

Link caught eyes with the boy, and felt like he was staring into the eyes of death.

No, he thought, the Hero of Time wouldn't act like this. He dove down, and struggled, but succeeded in lifting the boy up and out of the water and onto the riverbank. The boy gasped for air; meanwhile, Link pounded the side of his head to get the water out of his ear.

"Thanks, I guess." the boy started.

"Yea, yea." grunted Link, annoyed. He didn't care much for the hero title, getting such little appreciation. Why couldn't he have an adventure that actually had some meaning? Frustrated, he knew he would have a talk with Sahasrahla. As he got up, Link turned toward the boy and asked, "What's your name, by the way?"

"I'm Bouer... you saved my life." the boy replied.

"Just be more careful next time when you're spying on someone." Link walked away from Bouer, and he knew immediately he did not like him.

Still dripping wet, he trudged toward the town, and moments later, a woman ran up to Link and gave him a hug.

Startled, Link screamed "What was that for?"

"I saw what you just did. You saved that boy's life - you are a hero!" the woman replied. "Maybe I was wrong about you earlier. I know this is unusual, but here, take these 5 rupees, you deserve them for how you were treated. Just wait until I tell the girls..."

"Thanks... I guess..." Link was very confused, and just wanted someone to talk to.

~Things are heating up in Link's life. He'll get his wish for more adventure, trust me.

Sneak peak for the next chapter:

Link duels with Aryll, and learns disturbing information from Sahasrahla.