My Way

by junior-wheel

She would be a hero if only they let her have her way. Helping Link save Hyrule is a demeaning task, but even between shadow beasts and the princess's lack of faith, an infuriatingly charming chosen one makes Maeva no longer quite so certain of herself.

4. Sealing fate

Hellooooooo! As promised, updated in two weeks. Here's where I start crying... Okay I was exaggerating. I'll only feel quite bad. At this point, I really don't know when I'll update. You see, September is finish-and-submit-all-projects-and-also-write-all-papers-and-make-presentations, while the first two weeks of October is finals week where I study.

I'll try to post a chapter in between all this, hopefully mid-September before all the projects are SERIOUSLY due, but I can't promise anything. -CHOKES ON A SOB.-

But anyway. From this chapter on, My Way will be written in the 3rd POV, with seldom varying perspectives. Most of the time it'll still be Maeva's.

Thanks again for the reviews, favorites and alerts, guys! Please enjoy! :)

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My Way

Chapter 4: Sealing fate

Maeva awoke with a start, urgency ringing her mind. She had to keep running, because stopping would mean that she wouldn't have time to warn…to warn who? Did it still matter? All around her there was only the scent of grass and firewood, and she should return to sleep. After all, the sun wasn't out yet, though there was a certain brightness lilting down on her that didn't exist in the night…

Maeva's eyelids parted. An open roof? Only one house looked this way, and the desire to sift through her memories and determine whose it was urged her to rise and throw her feet off the bed. She stood, leaning against the ladder, eyelids still gummy with sleep. The ladder. That pretend third floor that wasn't truly a third story, and from outside, a shrieking. A cucco with a human face came to mind. Far below, the pointy tip of a long, green hat swayed about beside a golden blob…. Maeva yawned and stepped off the platform, instinctively bending her knees and landing on her feet. Apparently, not so far below, the thought flickered across her mind. The golden blob was hair on a handsome head, and in her sleepy daze she stared at the man preparing food by his desk until he noticed her presence.

"Good morning, Maeva," Link greeted, his usual smile causing emotions she didn't quite understand to swirl in her stomach.

It irritated her. Yes, that was it. Irritation. Maeva rolled her eyes and stalked off to the dining table.

Link watched her stare blankly at the table, eyebrows furrowed, before returning to wrapping their food for the journey. "She seems to be in a good mood."

He felt the burden on his feet lessen, and then Midna's silhouette floated a little to his side, shaking her head. "Maeva's only a morning person when she's being attacked. You forgot already? Sheesh. Don't you remember the day before yesterday?"

Link only chuckled. Before Epona found him again and they were forced to trek to Kakariko, Maeva was the last to wake and glared at just about everyone, save for Ooccoo Junior whom she regarded with an indifferent grunt. It wasn't until an hour after the journey when she snapped out of it and returned to glaring only at him, saving most of her eyerolls for Ooccoo and Gale.

Maeva stared at the table in deep thought, scratching at a few dents absentmindedly. She still didn't remember what she'd been dreaming about, which only furthered her morning grumpiness. A distraction. A distraction would be nice, and she found it briefly in her pouch. The flower the female monkey had given her was still as fresh and fragrant as the day she received it! Maeva wondered how that could be so, and also thought she would like to visit that monkey again, one of the very few beings in the light realm who was a friend to her, but she could think of no reason why the flower remained unwilting, and her attention quickly routed itself to the Hero's Pocket lying open on the table. Maeva grabbed it and sifted through that instead. A fishing pole, empty potion bottles, the slingshot, pillows (fragrant), and a bow and quiver. The last two seemed interesting and were withdrawn.

"Where did you get these?" she asked aloud, her voice still pooled with sleep.

"They're from Jaggle – Malo and Talo's father," Link replied without looking at her. "But…you probably don't know them by name."

"I do," Maeva snapped, narrowing her eyes at the back of his head. "Do you think me so ignorant?"

Link pretended not to hear it. "And Fado delivered them last night. It was actually why he came by."

"Oh," said Maeva. Yes, that even taller, muscled young man. She was desperately curious about what they might have spoken about now that she remembered, but Link might think she cared. So she controlled the urge to ask and focused instead on tracing the bow's smooth curve and strumming at its taut string.

"Do you know how to use that?"

Maeva glanced up at the question. A smile from him? Well, a frown from her. "Of course I do!" And not in the way she knew how to mount a horse. She snatched an arrow from the quiver and drew it against the bow, aiming for the top of his door frame. When she released, the arrow hit its mark precisely.

"Not bad," Link said, grinning.

Not bad? Maeva huffed inwardly. That was perfect! But she didn't feel like raising her hoarse morning voice any more than she already had and only crossed her arms after setting the weapons down. "If you have a natural talent for wrangling, I am naturally skilled at bows and arrows."

Link nodded. "Too bad we don't have many arrows, though."

Maeva quirked an eyebrow. "Can't you craft any more?"

"I was never taught how to fletch," he shrugged, taking the wrapped food and approaching the dining table. He said nothing of the items laid out on it and carefully placed them all inside the Pocket again.

Maeva inwardly grinned. Something he didn't know how to do. But the memory of her games as a child that bobbed up in her mind reminded her that the bow and arrows she played then were made of the shadows of twilight, of magic. She hadn't ever needed to 'fletch' anything. How disappointing, but it still wasn't something he or his adoring public could lord over her, and that suited her just as well.

Maeva didn't like it when Link stood too close to her. She could always feel that smile of his and his eyes, and she didn't like having to wonder if he was looking at her and what he might be thinking if he were. It was foolish, so she left him by the dining table to fix his things (as he should) and left the house.

Ooccoo, Ooccoo Junior and Gale were outside, enjoying the breeze before the sun rose and hiding in the tall grass. (Tall compared to them, Maeva thought with a slight laugh.) Epona sat closely beside them, staring at them curiously, and whinnying with a shake of her head every so often as though she had given up on discovering what they might truly be. Maeva jumped down the ladder. Unfortunately, her ability to land on her feet seemed to wane the longer she was awake, and she rolled on the ground as soon as she made contact with it. She lay sprawled on her back moments later, a noisy shrieking beside her ear causing her to roll her eyes.

"I was not sleep-walking, Ooccoo," she groaned after another minute of worried nagging.

"Oh." Ooccoo fell silent. "You'll excuse me. I thought only a sleep-walking girl could fall so ungracefully from that platform."

Gale laughed.

Maeva narrowed her eyes in the direction of the fairy's giggle, but could really see nothing past the tall grass, only the sudden shadow that loomed over her. Epona had moved beside her, and then sat down to nudge her nose against her shoulder. Sitting up and moving some paces away didn't work – Epona only followed and continued to nudge.

"What do you want?" Maeva asked with a frown. She didn't want to react negatively to her – the mare could kick her off and break her back at any moment, after all, and she had appreciated Epona's warm meeting the day previous, but this nudging was not endearing.

"She must be hungry!" said Ooccoo Junior from nowhere, as he often did. He dropped a carrot in her hand. Maeva was still confused about how he carried anything around, much less her staff in the Forest Temple, but he returned to his mother before she remembered to ask.

Epona stared at the carrot intently, so Maeva figured Ooccoo Junior was right. (She trusted Ooccoo Junior. He'd reacted warmly to her, too, upon their first meeting, when he returned her staff.) The carrot was chewed up and swallowed in a matter of seconds. The mare must have enjoyed it, because she whinnied happily and nuzzled her head against Maeva afterwards.

Maeva liked her gratitude; not so much her attention. She didn't particularly like sitting with animals that could gobble her up at any moment if they so tried, and she couldn't exactly get up on Epona's saddle to avoid her head – the mare rose and sat whenever she did – so she chose another option.

"Link!" she shouted, climbing the ladder to his home where Epona couldn't follow. She opened the door just in time to have him stare down at her.

"Yes?" he asked, smiling and adjusting the pouch behind him.

Maeva rolled her eyes.

They rode for Kakariko at the same pace as the day previous, though Maeva couldn't really tell. There was no sun; the sky was cloudy and getting much darker. As was their ritual for the past few days, they stopped by a familiar shade of trees in the field surrounded by grass and lavenders to eat lunch a little later than usual. This patch was much closer to Kakariko than it was to Ordon, not that Maeva knew if they had really made good time or not.

"We should eat here every day!" Ooccoo Junior exclaimed when they were finished, allowing Epona to rest before they set out again. "This is the best adventure ever."

"What makes you say that?" Link asked, packing their things once more. He didn't want to be the one to tell Junior they couldn't possibly eat here every day if they were to find those Fused Shadows Midna and Maeva wanted so badly, and he figured now wouldn't be the best time to say so, anyway.

"Because!" Ooccoo Junior replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm with you and mama and Gale and Midna and Maeva and Epona, too! We're like a family."

"We are a family, dear," said Ooccoo, nuzzling her head against her son's.

"What?" Maeva cut in.

Gale sent a hushing wind her way. The girl glared at the boomerang, but focused on fixing her hair again, giving the fairy a chance to speak. "Your mother is right, Junior. We've only spent a few days together, but I already know we're going to be great friends!"

"That's what it means to go on an adventure, right, Maeva? Enjoying time with your friends?" Ooccoo Junior asked, sitting on Maeva's shoulder.

Again, everyone's attention was on Maeva. She didn't like it. Going on an adventure meant saving the world, becoming an adulated hero! But Ooccoo Junior wasn't yet wise to the ways of the world, and she would never hear the end of it from Ooccoo and Gale if she said that. Dropping her hands from her head, she answered, staring mostly at Epona (who seemed the only one not as determined to get an answer from her), "I – I suppose."

"How idealistic!" Midna giggled, rising from Link's shadow. "I didn't know you felt that way, Maeva."

Maeva and Midna stared at each other for a moment, the former opening her mouth to think of a reply, but she didn't know what the latter wanted to hear. Frankly, she was getting tired of the shame, though she knew she had no right to even that. Luckily, Ooccoo Junior was already distracted and flew to the tree behind Link. "I knew it! I'm going to carve all our initials here on this tree and then this'll be our tree, forever!"

"You – you know how to read Hylian, Ooccoo Junior?"

"Of course!" his mother replied for him. "What sort of mother would I be if I didn't teach my child how to read the language of this land?"

"I don't know," Maeva snapped, glancing away.

"Oh, what's this?" Junior bumped into Link's head. Link turned away from the conversation and followed Ooccoo Junior's gaze down to a shining, scuttling bug on the ground. Lowering a finger near it, he allowed it to climb into his hand and presented it to the boy.

"Wow," said the young man. "A shining bug. I've never seen anything like this before."

"It's so shiny!" exclaimed the little boy. "It's a treasure, I just know it! Can we keep it, Link?"

Link grinned. "I don't see why not."

Maeva thought it was interesting to see an insect that shone like gold, but thought bitterly that of course it was found by a boy whose hair was like gold, too. She was about to roll her eyes at Link telling Ooccoo where exactly in his pouch he would keep the shining bug when the divine hero paused.

His eyebrows furrowed. Maeva took interest in his face especially when he didn't smile – it was rare. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Link didn't have to answer. It was far away, but there was a thunderous galloping in the distance that Maeva was too familiar with for it not to ring a bell in her mind. She joined the others, hiding behind a tree at the end of the thicket. Green and black spots formed a dust cloud not too far ahead, growing in size as they drew closer. The earth trembled under the continuous barrage of bullbo hooves. The others fell into a discussion as to what it might be, but Ooccoo was heavily opposed to sending her son to teleport to near peoples unknown. Maeva cringed at her voice, but silently agreed. They would only trample the boy.

Now, why did she know that?

"King Bulblin!" Maeva gasped. She saw the large, round, green creature from afar – she didn't need to see him up close to know his horns that curved inward before they curved outward, and that sinister grin on his mouth that made her shudder. The red of Lord Bullbo's eyes were just as nasty as his rider's. When she first saw the pig, she thought that even beasts might possess the capacity for evil.

King Bulblin turned just before they reached their shade of trees. Maeva whirled to the right, expecting to find Link as flabbergasted as she, but he was already on Epona, Ooccoo and Junior on his head, waiting to pull her up on his mare.

"They're going to Kakariko!" she exclaimed when her arms were wrapped around his waist.

"I know," was all he said before urging Epona to hasten her gallop. Maeva frowned but prudently chose to say nothing.

If the bulbins noticed Epona behind them, they didn't seem to find it a problem. They were always one gallop ahead, too far for Gale's reach, and they rode past the field, into the narrow road between the hills that paved the way toward the mountain ridge that was home to Kakariko.

Midna might have called it poetic, Maeva thought, how they arrived just a little too late, and how the sky grew even gloomier despite the time, almost as though it was growing closer to night. Link had been quiet all the way, save for his determined grunts as he dug his heels into Epona's side in an attempt to catch even the last of the bulblins riding. Some had stayed behind – it seemed King Bulblin had noticed them – but Link slew them quickly, leaning to the side and bending down just a little to slice their heads clean off. Maeva had never seen him so fierce.

When they finally arrived, Link didn't stop. King Bulblin was waiting for them, raising an unconscious blond boy, Colin, in the air with a chuckle before rallying his riders forward. Maeva could have sworn she saw his eyes flash in recognition at her, but she was distracted by the screams of the villagers below them. Barnes shook in his boots beside Beth and Talo, who watched on and shouted for Link to save Colin, their voices uneven with fear. Even Luda, whom Maeva had seen as the calmer one of the two girls currently in the village, was sobbing, holding her father tight as he urged them on worriedly.

But Link seemed to hear none of them, or if he did, he gave no reassuring smiles or nods, slowing only to deposit Ooccoo, Junior, and Gale with Renado, and then they sped straight out of the ridges of Kakariko and into another portion of Hyrule Field. The twilight surrounding Hyrule Castle taunted orange and dull green in the distance, but that was hardly the issue. The bulblins that remained near the exit of the Kakariko ridge prepared a trap for them, a barred fence of spikes. Link gave a huff, almost an arrogant snort, if Maeva knew arrogant snorts, and gave a hyah! which was enough for Epona to know to leap high over the fence.

Link spoke before Maeva could let out a shocked breath. "What can you tell me about this King Bulblin?" he asked, almost demanded.

Maeva would have bristled at his tone, had the suddenly gruff, serious turn his voice had taken not struck her so. "He – he's often at the head of raids," she replied, attempting to remove all inflection from her voice as Link had. She was still reeling from his change, more than she had been when she first heard his wolf song. "Before a village is submerged in the twilight, he has his men pillage the place."

Lightning and thunder preceded Link's next demand. "Is he here to take Eldin's light again?"

"He isn't the leader of the shadow beast hordes, if that – is what you mean to ask," Maeva replied. Link said nothing, but she felt his impatience and continued, "Only a general of the bulblin army. If there are no shadow beasts with him, this…this might be a personal vendetta. I can't think of why he would return for Kakariko."

"He took the children before. He was the one who dragged me into the twilight," Link said without hesitation. His tone was steadily harsh. "Shouldn't Ilia be with them now?"

"This is only a…hunting party, of sorts. His entire army is much greater!" Maeva couldn't help but exclaim. "But Bulblin always keeps his prisoners close. Either your friend escaped, or…"

With her arms around his waist, Maeva felt the hero tense, but he gave no reply and only continued to follow the dust cloud. As their eyes traced low-lying ruins of what may have been a castle, a heavy shower replaced the thundering of the savages' bullbo hooves against the ground, filling the weak foundations of the ancient structure with water to form murky ponds. It stomped out the dust cloud, at least, but now covered everything in a light fog. Link could only identify the others moving around the field, spread out – no doubt a ploy to lead them astray – by the white halos around their figures formed where the fat raindrops plodded against them nonstop.

"Bulblin is turning around!" Maeva yelled over the rain. "He's coming towards us!"

Link nodded in acknowledgment, at least, but went straight for him. They were almost there – poor Colin was tied to the pole where King Bulblin raised the banner – almost about to strike the monster that took his friends, but he was right. Almost. The hunting party of bulblins that had dissipated weren't there to only lead them astray; they were there to attack them, try to knock them off Epona. King Bulblin pulled a long, curved horn much like the one on his head from his beast's saddlebag and blew, calling the lesser bulblins on their bullbo to flank the humans.

Maeva needed no previous knowledge of beasts to understand that Epona was tired. She was no longer neighing in determination, and her breaths were easy to hear even with the wind howling in the storm. When the bulblins surrounded them with their burning arrows, Epona did her best and attempted to stomp them out, but the fire was hostile, she knew, and when they hit anywhere above her hooves, she cried out in pain. It was a heartbreaking sound, and Maeva was grateful for the rain that instantly snuffed out the flames. This affected their chances of gaining ground more than Epona could understand through the searing of her flesh, however – with each cry, the mare would turn in another direction, allowing King Bulblin to gain more distance from them.

It felt like they had been riding for hours already, and Maeva was drenched with rain and cold sweat. What was it? Worry? But Link's voice was a welcome distraction.

"Maeva!" he shouted, still in that tone of voice. It wasn't so welcome anymore, that way of speaking so different from his usual cheeriness. It wasn't the same one he used on adults, either. "The bow and arrow! Shoot the bulblins before they hurt Epona!"

He was confusing, but Maeva followed his orders nonetheless, for the sake of that blond boy who was foolish enough to get himself captured. It wasn't difficult to focus in the rain, but aiming an arrow at a moving target while moving, yourself was an entirely different ordeal. Maeva fired eight arrows, one for each of the lesser bulblins on the four bullbo chasing them, but each one missed. She bounced too much and she couldn't steady her elbow. At the very least, it had gotten the bulblin to concentrate on dodging the arrows instead of firing for a while.

Link noticed as well, but this wasn't an excuse. "If the bulblins can stun Epona, you can stun their bullbo," he shouted, his voice deep, hoarse from his demanding tone. Clearly, it was something foreign to him. "Don't waste any more arrows!"

"I'm trying my best!" Maeva couldn't help but yell back. "Be quiet and ride properly!"

Given the new role he'd suddenly taken as the one giving orders between them, Maeva felt rather rebellious telling him that, but erased it from her mind when he said nothing in reply. Failure to do one's duty was punishable by death. Link was right, however, not that she would ever acknowledge it – if those measly bulblins could miss her only by a hairline, she should be able to harm them! Of course, bullbo were naturally larger and slower and the bulblins' aim would be steadier, but she could use this to her advantage.

No more wasting arrows. Maeva couldn't make any perfect shots so precise and sharp that their heads might be fall right off, but she did manage to memorize the angle in which she could hit the riders on their thighs while everyone moved, and with them fussing over the pain, no one was steering the pigs right and they led themselves astray. One, she saw to her delight, even fell off the cliff.

Again, Link said nothing if he noticed. Ingratitude at its finest, Maeva thought amidst her self-congratulatory state, but she, too, soon focused on King Bulblin. Without his minions to distract her, Epona was able to race towards the same pig-monster that took her away from her master. Link had been so close to the general so many times that he already worked out, in his mind, the kinks of his flakey armor. He must not have been used to wearing any – in fact, it didn't look like the armor was outfitted for him. Only the helmet fit his round head, but everything else was too small; so small that when Link had come close enough, he'd seen that Bulblin cut the armor into pieces and tied them around himself with rope, more like arm guards than actual armor.

When Link finally caught up with King Bulblin, he cut his sword against a piece of armor that stuck out and knocked him on the head with the side of his sword. He would have decapitated the monster, but Epona's gait lagged just before he could.

In any case, it knocked out the general and sent his armor falling to pieces all around them. Lord Bullbo, however, was tougher, and rode through the remaining ruins into the Eldin bridge, a stone bridge that led into another narrow path through even higher, rockier hills skirting Hyrule. Far below into the darkness, a river rushed unheard.

The rain let up, and Maeva finally knew what time it was – late afternoon. The clouds parted to reveal a sun descending closer to dusk, to twilight. Epona gave another cry. It wasn't out of fatigue, because the mare was too proud for that – behind them, remaining bulblins had set a fence to block their path and lit it on fire, making return near impossible. On the other end of the bridge, the bulblins behind their King, now awake, fired a spiked fence into flames as well.

"What do we do?" she asked, not necessarily Link. If anything she could no longer see him, thinking only of how much she hated the uncertainty of not being able to leap, especially given how she had lost control over stronger shadow magic that might save them from bone-crushing death in case they fell. If Midna was with them, she was quiet.

Link clenched his left fist around his sword's hilt. "Maeva," he said, sitting back and turning his head halfway to speak to her. "When I tell you to duck, you'll duck, all right?"

Maeva was accustomed to falling out of the portal with none of the grace she once possessed. The human body was still frail. He'd said that it would turn to the shadows soon, keeping the fleshy, pink form she so desired but repossessing her ability to wield the shadow magic he taught them, to jump as far as she was once able. But now she was still weak, and he'd called for her from this barren, dry land, patches of grass growing only few and far between.

There were green monsters everywhere. She had been green, too, even black and white, but these were just hideous. Maeva didn't want to judge according to appearances as the humans had before he gave her this form, but they even acted like savages. Smoke from bonfires around every portion of the camp, roasting dead animals that didn't smell very palatable at all. They were from this realm, she knew, because their shadows were still even in the flickering firelight. The green monsters stared at her as they entered, some brandishing their small swords and sneering, but he cut her a clear path with shadows and she followed it to his tent, trying not to see the large boar that snorted at her outside.

There was a man inside – or, no, she decided as she got a closer look. He was a kinsman to the monsters outside, only taller, rounder, larger. Seemingly much more capable of thought. He didn't see her yet, but she could see him.

"Zant," she said with a sisterly fondness she would never again apply to her older friend. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes," he said, his white mouth turning up for a smile. She had to rely on that these days – she could no longer read his eyes. Maybe it was only the light, but… "Maeva. I want you to meet a good friend of mine – King Bulblin, lord of the bulblins. You must have seen his trusted steed outside – Lord Bullbo, king of the bullbo."

"Heh, heh," she giggled, smiling impishly. King and lord, Lord and king. But Zant didn't return her smile, so she cleared her throat, removed her mirth and turned to King Bulblin. "It's…an honor…to meet you."

She couldn't have said it any more hesitantly. As soon as she'd caught the gaze of his beady, red eyes, her smile fell. His own was sinister, as though one of his men had found something good to eat for dinner and he was ready to gobble it all up. King Bulblin smirked in reply and only inclined his head. As though he was ready to gobble her all up.

Maeva felt something close tightly around her right hand. It was Link's fist. "Maeva, do you understand?" he repeated.

"Yes," she said hastily. "Yes, I'll duck."

Bublin charged. Maeva briefly considered screaming for her life, but the thought that this new Link might scold her came to mind and she decided against it. Link followed the monster's example, having Epona gallop as fast as she could. Maeva saw Colin tied close to the bulblin banner – she wasn't surprised. He did that to survivors often. Her eyes trailed the pole down to Bulblin and his beady eyes, focused determinedly on Link. She would feel better that even their enemies preferred Link over her, but King Bulblin was a monster whose eyes she never wanted on her again.

"Duck!" Link yelled. Maeva pulled close with her eyes shut tight, caring little if she knocked the wind out of him in her tight embrace, and obeyed. Bulblin swung his flail at them. Link didn't attempt anything with his sword, ducking, too, until they exchanged ends of the bridge, something he appeared to regret.

"Next time, to the right and faster, no hesitation," he muttered repeatedly.

"What?" asked Maeva. But Link only charged forward again, letting out a fierce war cry that woke her enough to make her watch attentively in anticipation.

Link was slashing his sword in the air even before they came close. When they did, he made a feint to the left before swerving Epona to the right, swinging long before Bulblin could brace himself, and managed to elicit an angry roar from the bulblin lord – he'd managed to slice one of his horns off, so that it only curved inward, not even halfway.

Amazing, Maeva would have breathed, but held in her excitement and prayed that they wouldn't fall to their doom yet. Link rode until the edge of the bridge before turning Epona around.

Maeva hoped he wouldn't try the technique a second time. It was an intelligent feint, but Bulblin was a swift learner and was never fooled twice.

They rode again. This time, Link feinted to the right – or he might have, but Maeva would never know, because Bulblin hurled his flail with all his might before Link could swerve. Link nearly crushed Maeva's hand, pulling her arm against his chest as he reeled from the clang of his sword against Bulblin's heavy weapon and ignoring Epona's worried whinny.

King Bulblin was not a creature of calculation, or if he had been all those months ago, he'd lost his edge to battles won too easily. His swing was uncontrolled – simply a flail of his arm, literally, so as soon as Link moved Epona forward, sliding his sword out from under Bulblin's flail, he stabbed him in the shoulder and kicked the pig lord into the unseen river below.

Maeva gasped, nearly screamed, and reached out for the Bulblin banner that held the boy – to her surprise, tendrils like fingers shot out from the shadows dancing on her palm and clasped the pole, before withdrawing slowly, weakening at her awareness of them, and placing the long shaft in her hand.

Her head spun towards Link, but he didn't notice, too busy thrusting his sword threateningly at Lord Bullbo, who snarled but backed away to jump over the fences doused by the now fleeing bulblins. The right side of her body was still pressed against his back, so she felt his squared shoulders slump as he sighed in relief. When Maeva realized this, she pulled away instantly, forcing his fingers to release hers. This seemed to jolt Link awake to the new issue at hand.

"Colin!" he gasped, turning to where he stabbed Bulblin, but saw nothing. He did feel a shadow looming over him, however, and glanced up to see the unconscious boy still tied up. He followed the banner down to Maeva's eyes and smiled.

Maeva sat back, still flexing her now free hand and shaking the blood back into it. It felt warm from Link's touch, yet cold from the lack of proper circulation. And they were still drenched. No doubt Colin would catch cold – and Link was steering Epona back to Kakariko village, glancing back at her every so often to smile. It was his natural smile, the one he used to turn odd fairies inside boomerangs and oocca into adoring fans, but Maeva doubted. People could wonder, the more polite ones in the back of their minds, what she was, but after what she'd just witnessed that afternoon, she couldn't help but wonder was who Link truly was.

Maeva couldn't possibly describe the joy of the humans as they returned, an untied Colin safe in Link's arms. He brought the boy near Eldin spring, perhaps with the idea that the light might share its power and nurse him. Beth cried, Luda thanked them profusely, Renado thanked the gods, Barnes clapped his hands tearfully, and Malo and Talo watched on in amazement. They surrounded Link, kneeling before the spring, Colin's neck against his forearm. She stood behind them, holding Epona's reins. The steed's eyes were closed; the poor thing was clearly fatigued. She would lead the mare somewhere she might rest, but Maeva wanted to see Colin awaken. The boy shouldn't matter to her – she had never even spoken to him – but he did, so she stayed on even as she felt that she was trespassing just seeing them happy.

The humans gasped. Colin must have stirred. Epona followed her a little to the left, so she might see his tired eyes. Talo had explained everything when they returned – Bulblin came, and Colin saved a frozen Beth. The boy was not so much a fool as she thought as he was a hero.

"Link…" Colin whispered weakly. "Is everyone…okay?"

Maeva blinked. Was that really his first thought? But then – perhaps he felt it his duty to protect his friends, as it had been her duty to protect the princess, even at the cost of the lives of all others she loved.

"…Good," said Colin after a few moments. The relief was obvious in his voice. He was so selfless. She hadn't taken up the duty until she was far older than him. "Beth…I'm sorry. You know…for shoving you. Are you mad?"

"Of course I'm not mad, silly!" Beth answered immediately, her eyes brimming with tears as she shook her head vigorously.

Colin only smiled, turning his head to face Link. "Link…you saved me, didn't you?"

A smile tugged at the corners of the hero's mouth. "And—"

"And Maeva, too," Colin added ahead of him.

The humans glanced at her. Her eyes shifted left and right, even at Epona and the cucco clucking near the Inn, but their eyes were on her. Colin had referred to her. Malo stared the hardest, it seemed, jerking his head towards them. Was he telling her to—?

Maeva nodded slowly, approaching them with Epona.

"Thank you," said Colin.

"You…are welcome," Maeva replied almost hesitantly.

Colin nodded, his eyes flying to Link again. "I think I finally understand. I understand what my dad meant when he told me I needed to be stronger like you, Link." The boy raised an open fist into the air and clenched it, but he was still tired, and he dropped his arm. His fever would start soon. "He wasn't talking about strength, like lifting stuff. He was talking about being brave. You…You can do anything, Link."

"Yeah!" Talo cheered in agreement.

"You…you and Maeva can do something to help the Gorons in the mine too, can't you?" Colin continued.

Link raised his head to her. She was tempted to take a step back, but she gripped Epona's reins and nodded without a thought. What else could one answer to such a courageous little boy? The hero relayed their affirmation and then Colin closed his eyes. Beth gave a half-scream, shuffling towards him, but Talo shoved her aside and attempted to wrap Colin's arms around his shoulder in a piggyback. Maeva understood the need to redeem one's self, fruitless though the attempt may be. But Renado gently removed Colin from Talo and scooped him up, nodding gratefully at Link and Maeva before returning to his hut, the rest of the children chasing him like lost lambs. Talo looked back, waiting for them to follow, but Maeva was already heading back for the Inn.

Epona was slow, her legs about to give way, so Link caught up with them easily. "Maeva."

"What."

Link laughed. "I…guess I deserve that, huh? Listen, Maeva – I know I shouldn't have acted the way I did—"

"You shouldn't have," Maeva snapped. Now that the divine hero was back to his old self, she could glare at him properly for the offenses he had caused her during that brief fluctuation in his character. But there was something in his eyes that she still didn't understand, something intense she couldn't hold her own against. She glared instead at the cucco passing by. "However. I…know the urgency you must have felt."

Maeva tried to look at Link once more and noticed that the intensity had dulled down. He was smiling again.

"Still," she corrected herself, "you had no right to speak to me that way."

Link walked ahead of her, towards the inn and opened the door. With an impish grin dancing on his face, he asked, "So am I forgiven?"

Maeva only rolled her eyes, leading Epona inside to sleep for the rest of the day.

Link shook his head, his grin unfading, and followed.

…

Maeva pounded a hammer into a nail perfunctorily. This was her…twelfth? Twenty-third? She'd lost count. It was an easy task, and exercise enough for her arms, given that the hammer Barnes had given her was heavier than what Malo seemed used to. But then he was a child, and she expected that all hammers were too wieldy for him.

Link was helping Barnes with – something. She wasn't sure. Boarding up the houses he'd broken into as a wolf, she surmised, if Midna's laughter in the Inn as he explained why we wouldn't climb Death Mountain tonight was any indication. Maeva had wanted to sit with Epona near Eldin spring, because the ancient stones surrounded by the flowing water gave her comfort all of a sudden, a certain lightness, and the scent of clean earth washed away Epona's beastly stink as well as her own. Talo had caught her, however, before she could reach the springs, and was grumbling something about Malo not even visiting Renado's hut to wish Colin well.

"Can you talk some sense into that kid? He might listen to you," Talo had said about his brother. Maeva thought it odd that he would drag her into human affairs this way, but wasn't this what Link did? Solve petty arguments and then move onto bigger problems such as saving the realm? If he could do it, she could, too.

So she entered the General Store that was now covered in posters with Malo's face printed on them. How the boy managed that, she would never know. It made her feel rather inadequate, knowing that children were starting to take responsibility earlier on in their lives, like Ooccoo Junior and Malo and Colin. When she was their age, all she remembered was basking in the attention of her older friends and seeking their approval, which she had foolishly come to identify with her own competence as a potential ruler.

Malo had been setting up shop. The shelves were newly restocked, but everything was out of place and needed cleaning up. She curiously watched the child move about, his oversized jerkin trailing behind him as he shuffled everywhere.

The child seemed to ignore her. So much for listening to her, she thought to his older brother somewhat apologetically, when Malo appeared on the counter before her with his arms crossed. "Are you going to stand around there doing nothing all night?"

She'd blinked, clearly surprised at his invasion of her personal space, but she didn't appreciate being talked down to by a little boy, and quirked an eyebrow at him. "What will you do if I say yes?"

They'd stared at each other for at least a minute already, Maeva was sure, when Malo shrugged. "I don't know, but you might as well do something, right?"

The boy had a point, and so he set her to hammering things around the place, moving furniture around the shop as he pleased. She assumed Link was doing the same somewhere else in the village. Now she was finished, and was resting on the counter, her head back against the wall. Young though he was, Malo was certainly intelligent. Yellow lighting instead of stark white, he said, would calm customers and ease any pressures they might have about buying something. That way, he could better persuade or coax them into many purchases without them feeling forced.

He was right. She felt calm, and she allowed her eyes to close. Maeva was thinking about how lucky she was that she didn't catch cold this time even after being caught in the rain. (Link's case needn't be mentioned, she thought, presuming he had never gotten ill before, being that perfect creature that he was.)

"Sorry, but your markings are just so weird."

Maeva's eyes snapped open. Malo was staring at the symbols on her body.

She frowned. "Then I suppose I shouldn't hesitate to tell you that a baby talking has unnerved me since we found you."

Malo snorted. "Touché."

The baby continued to watch her. She glared. That was often effective, but not on this child. Maeva had the growing feeling that he was an old creature trapped in a child's body. Malo only narrowed his eyes further.

"You're not very friendly, are you?" asked the boy, easing his expression after a while.

That came as a surprise. "It is difficult to form friendships with people who scream at the sight of my markings. Beth's father was especially eager to attack me."

Malo chuckled as though that was natural. Perhaps it was. And then he shook his head. "That's no excuse. Link makes friends with everybody. If you really wanted to, you could, too."

"No," Maeva scoffed. "You all love Link because he's perfect. We are worlds apart."

Malo quirked an eyebrow. "Perfect? Really?"

Maeva didn't like his expression. She couldn't understand it. "Tell me, why do you possess such concern for me?"

"I don't," said Malo, laughing at her assumption. "But I see a similarity between you and me. You want to get things done immediately, I don't really care for the opinions of others. We feel the same."

Maeva wondered how she should feel about a little boy comparing her to himself – and remembered that she compared herself to his older brother earlier, but Malo was still talking.

"I was also wondering what someone like you was doing with someone like Link."

Maeva snarled immediately. "Are you implying that Link is better than me?"

"Not exactly," Malo replied quickly, as if he knew he'd avoided heavy fire. But even then he was calm. "But you're a girl with mysterious markings and some weird staff and Link's a ranch hand."

"That's right," said Maeva, understanding his point. "But now Link is a hero and I…am in his shadow."

It was Malo's turn to blink. "That's what's important to you?"

Maeva paused, considering her answer. The way he spoke, the way this child was with his sharp speech and freely spoken opinions, made her want to reply with whatever he wanted to hear. He reminded her of Midna. If he compared her to himself, was this how people felt about her, too? She thought about Gale, and Ooccoo, and Link. Not so.

"You want to help people and fix whatever weird things are happening lately, right?"

Maeva wondered where he was taking her. "Of course."

"Then it doesn't matter how you do it as long as you do it. Like I said, Maeva," he said, because they were on a name basis all of a sudden, "I don't really think much of what other people think of me as long as I get the job done."

Maeva nodded. Such a charismatic little baby. "You are wise beyond your years, Malo." He gave a knowing smile, and she paused. "You might tell Talo what you're up to, however."

Malo shrugged, motioning for her to help him lift shields onto the shelves. "He's my brother. He'll understand someday."

The door creaked open. "Malo, are you in here? Talo asked me to…wow." Link strolled in and stopped only at the sight of the languid lighting and the clean general store. He'd come in here as a wolf and it was in tatters. "Nice work."

"Maeva did most of it," Malo shrugged, holding out his upper limbs. "Short arms. Couldn't move much by m'self."

"Maeva," Link said, his eyes catching her near the wall for the first time. "I didn't see you there."

Maeva crossed her arms. "I did."

"Hah, sorry. I thought you were with Junior and the girls."

Malo watched their exchange with mild interest. The way they talked, it was like they…not that he cared. "Link, are you going to buy something? Maeva was just putting the finishing touches on the place. If there's nothing else…"

"Oh, right. Talo says it's dinner time. Maeva, Junior came to me about that, too," he said, before flashing Malo another smile and departing.

"Guess we should eat first. Actually, I think the shop's perfect as it is already," said Malo, climbing the counter and hopping over to the door.

Maeva was still gaping at the boy. He wasn't an adoring fan! This was a miracle! "You…you told him to leave."

"I…did," said Malo, wondering why it was such a special moment. "Don't get me wrong – I like Link. He's a real hero. But I don't want anyone clogging up the shop if they're not helping out or buying anything. Anyway, dinner time."

Maeva's throat trapped a giggle just before it escaped. It was tempting to pick up the baby and embrace him, but she only beamed and followed him out the door.

…

Maeva fell asleep immediately after dinner, despite Gale's ramblings about how doing so was unhealthy and Ooccoo Junior's claims about having found more shiny bugs. She closed her eyes next to her pouch, her fingers on the white flower that still lived, to her sleepy wonder, and slept dreamlessly until the next morning. It was much brighter, much hotter and left much more room for frustration as they made their way up Death Mountain. Link was practicing walking with the Iron Boots. She found them infuriating. They clanged and echoed like pots and pans in a spacious container and since Maeva walked beside him, she could feel every stomp of every step beneath her feet. If they had any chance of surprising the Gorons with their arrival, those Iron Boots squashed it like the few spiders it had actually crushed during their hike upward. Maeva was still looking for rocks where she might wipe off the green blood that had splattered against her sandals and legs.

"Stay here while I wrestle the first one," Link said to her when they reached the first set of grilles. She acquiesced only because if they climbed together and were thrown off at the same time, there would be no one to catch her. Not that she had any intention of catching Link, especially with those Iron Boots that would sooner grind her spine.

The only indication of the trouble the boots gave Link as he climbed the grilles were his grunts, and Maeva didn't care much for them except that they made her feel odd, irritated, probably, so she tried her best to ignore him until he reached the top. And then the Goron cried out again – she could hear the earth above shake as he curled into his spherical form and somersaulted towards Link, but no green-clad hero fell on his back. Only another grunt, and then the Goron's yellow and ecru body flew off the cliff and rolled down the mountain like a natural boulder.

"Rorrhhhohhhhh!" the Goron wailed. It was almost laughable.

Link crouched down near the grilles and waved at Maeva. "We're through!" he grinned. Maeva thought he must be so proud of himself. "Come on!"

The mountain was extremely hot and, to quote Gale, just downright chaotic. Hot volcanic rocks rained down from above, throwing everyone off with their hurtling through the air and crashing somewhere nearby almost every minute. Fumaroles littered the area almost as much as rocks and spewed out hot air that seared to the touch. Maeva had seen them in the twilight, but without the darkness, they seemed to hurt more now, and smell, too. At one point, she thought the gases from the fumaroles were the beginning of another miasma.

Past the fumarole fields were natural stone steps that were almost as tall as she was. Ooccoo, Gale and Junior climbed them easily, but Link couldn't carry himself with only his arms as support wearing the Iron Boots. So Maeva lifted herself first, Link removed his boots, stuffed them in his pouch, followed the others, and wore the boots again.

"Stop that," Maeva hissed after the third step. There were about four more ahead. "Climb all the steps before you wear them again!"

"A Goron might appear any moment now," Link reasoned.

"Then I would be crushed before you and this would all be for naught," Maeva sighed, and continued climbing. But of course Link was always at least half-right, and as soon as Maeva finished the last step, a Goron gasped at her appearance and began to roll.

"Link," Maeva called, reaching her hand out to him in haste. Ooccoo, Junior and Gale were shrieking somewhere beside her. "Hurry up! The Iron Boots!"

"Right." Link allowed her to pull him up and jumped into his Iron Boots. "Everyone, against the wall!"

Maeva grabbed the rest and pressed back against the mountain face, watching with wide eyes as the Goron slammed right onto Link. His fingers burned when the Goron rolled even as he stopped him, but still, he shifted his entire body to the right to throw the rock-creature off the steps, down the mountain like his friend.

Catching Maeva's eyes on his fingers, Link shook his hands in the air. "Nothing to it," he said, flashing a smile. The others cheered. She wasn't so convinced. Why was he hiding his pain? Well, it didn't matter. If he wanted to suffer on his own, then he would. And nobody would notice her seething about being able to do nothing, either.

They hadn't reached the elder Gorons yet and Maeva wasn't sure how far into Death Mountain they were, but for some reason, she didn't mind. It felt good to be close to the earth with all its impurities and deformations. It was almost as if she could reach into the fumaroles and touch the earth's core – if the gases weren't so poisonous. The sudden affinity for the place confused even her – just days ago all heat reminded her of was one of the moments when Zant tried to leave her in a burning house – but she shrugged it off. There were other things to worry about.

Gale was not of the same opinion, however. Not only was it raining rocks – it was raining fire and brimstone, too! Flaming rocks!Death Mountain wasn't a mountain at all but a volcano, and an active one at that. It was a rusty rufous, fading either to brown or black in some places, not pleasing to the eye at all, and it was made worse when a long, flaming slab of rock plunged in from the sky and rooted itself into the ground.

They had been sneaking quietly then. The Iron Boots were in Link's pouch and the area was wide, the Gorons spread out enough so that they could sneak about and climb the high steps without being noticed. And then the slab shook the volcano, and Ooccoo let out an ear-curdling shriek.

The Gorons turned their heads at the high-pitched sound. "Humans!" they exclaimed, throwing their hands in the air in a panic before curling up and bracing themselves for a roll.

"Climb! Climb! Climb!" Link yelled. Maeva hurled Ooccoo as high as the next two steps – a little retribution for the attention the oocca garnered for all of them – and then Gale helped heave her upward with a strong wind. The Gorons crashed into Link one by one, and were each thwarted and sent rolling down the mountain, grunting in irritation as the fumaroles blew vapor into their backs.

"That was extraordinary, Link!" Ooccoo gasped when Maeva offered to pull him up to the next step.

She hadn't wanted to, but his fingers were red with friction and it was almost pathetic. Luckily for him, he didn't have to send too many more down the mountain before they reached the elders. After the slab of rock was out of sight, as well as the tempting hot springs, they caught sight of an entrance at the top of an inverted cone. It was that or nothing at all, so they climbed the spiral slope that circled the mountain, sticking to walls when Link performed his feat until they were faced with a dark cave entrance. What had been interesting was that on the way to the top, there were grilles and crates. Maeva wondered if the Gorons could craft these themselves or if it was evidence of their once strong bond with the humans of Kakariko village. The archway signaling the entrance to the elders' lair itself was lined with metal.

Link pondered on whether to wear Bo's boots. On one hand, perhaps the elders would see their mettle for managing to reach this far into the mountain, or perhaps they would decide they mustn't let this happen again and send a Goron army to flatten his friends, who would have nowhere to run, because the tunnel was narrow and only large enough to fit one Goron and no other being at a time.

He wore them, and was right to. The elders' lair reminded him much of Bo's inner ground floor, except their wrestling arena was a naturally raised, flat mound of rock. Six Gorons stood guard around it, three at each side, and across the room there stood two more, even larger. He was surprised to see a smaller one between them, but he had no time to think of that. The six Gorons had curled into their battle positions. He stomped a heavy foot, forbidding Maeva to stand beside him.

"Run!" he ordered.

"Enough!" the little one said in return, and Link realized that the gray, rocky parts of the Gorons' bodies weren't rocks – they were hair. This little one had tufts growing out the sides of his head. It reminded him of Barnes, in a way. Still, he was just relieved to see the six guards jump out of their positions and cross their arms, watching the little one expectedly.

"Is this young one such an imposing enemy that you must all gang up on him? I think not, Little Brothers." said the little one with an old, wise voice. He was an elder. Little Brothers. Link would laugh if it might not cost his friends their lives.

Maeva peeked out from behind Link, as well as Ooccoo, Ooccoo Junior, and Gale, who liked to float freely.

"Come forward," beckoned the elder.

The Goron guards parted to allow them passage. Maeva stared one in the eye defiantly, now that their lives were not on the line, but the Goron only stared back innocently. She looked back at the elder. What an odd people.

When they reached him, below the platform on which he stood akimbo, he spoke with a smile on his hardened face. "I am a Goron elder, little humans – and companions. I am called Gor Coron. Because of certain…circumstances, I must lead the Goron tribe in place of Darbus, our tribal patriarch. Tell me, who are you? Do you come from the village below?"

Link nodded. "We represent the villagers of Kakariko," he said with his mature voice. He was acting again, thought Maeva. "I am Link. My companions are Maeva, Ooccoo, her son Ooccoo Junior, and the fairy of Winds, Gale. The villagers below were once your friends – now you forbid them to come to your mountain, and provided no aid when they were attacked by bulblins. We've come to ask why."

Gor Coron paused, glancing away in shame before staring at each and every one of them. Old people generally unnerved her, but Maeva was happy to be able to hold his gaze. "You have done well to come this far. You are strong…for humans," he added. "However…" His arms crossed, the ridges where his eyebrows should have been creasing. "The mines beyond here are sacred to my tribe. Outsiders are not allowed."

"Surely there must be a reason," Link said. Maeva shivered at the skill of his act. She could never pretend like him – being a human was difficult as it was. "Or a way we might prove we are worthy of your trust…?"

Gor Coron's mouth turned up for a grin. "I could make an exception…" he said, his eyes narrowing, but his excitement was clear as day. "But you would have to beat me in a contest of power. Is at least one of you willing to try that, little humans?"

Link imitated his smirk. "Certainly."

…

Cheating had never looked quite so good. Gor Coron was mighty despite his old age, but Link's upper limbs were swift, even with the Iron Boots weighing him down. (Maeva noticed only then that he walked in an extremely entertaining manner when he wore them, but tried not to laugh. If the Gorons saw one of his companions poking fun at him, after all, they might think none of them deserved the Gorons' respect.) Link ducked when Gor Coron swung, and swung when the Goron attempted to shove at him. Gor Coron managed to push him backward a few times, but even in the beginning, Maeva was certain he would win.

Or at least, she hoped he did. Ooccoo and Gale were cheering noisily, nonstop, and the Goron guards watching the match beside them seemed just about ready to sit on them with their rocky posteriors.

The Gorons gasped when Link shoved Gor Coron out of the ring. Ooccoo, Junior, and Gale cheered; even Maeva found herself standing up and at least pumping a fist in the air, gasping an inaudible 'yes!'

Gor Coron propped himself up on his elbows and smiled up at Link. He had never looked so happy. "Young warrior…you have a strong will, and sharp eyes. Fine traits – want to see how well you can use them?"

"What do you mean?" asked Maeva.

The Gorons all looked at her. She hated when that happened. But Gor Coron didn't seem to mind the question, though she almost felt as if she'd spoken out of turn because of their eyes unblinking, and answered once he stood. "You have seen it, I would bet. The mountain, erupting without pause."

"Oh, yes," said Ooccoo with a groan. "Such heat."

Gor Coron nodded in agreement. "When the mountain began to rage, all four of us elders and Darbus, our patriarch, went inside to investigate its anger. We have a treasure that was entrusted to us by the spirits, and we must protect it. Do you understand?"

More than you know, Link wanted to say, but only inclined his head.

"But the moment Darbus reached out and touched the treasure…everything went wrong. He collapsed…and before our very eyes transformed into an unspeakable monster!" The Gorons shook their heads sadly, as though mourning this memory. "He began to rage through the mines, trailing ruin behind him…and the eruptions grew more frequent and more severe. We used all of our strength to seal him deep inside the mountain. It – grieved us, to do this to our patriarch…" Even with his stiff voice, Link could hear the regret in his tone. "But we had no other course of action."

Gor Coron took a deep breath, like he was about to confess a terrible crime. "I ask this favor of you: go the aid of Darbus! On behalf of my entire clan, I, Gor Coron, ask you for your aid!"

Link glanced at Maeva, who nodded, and then back to Gor Coron. "We would aid you."

Gor Coron nodded, smiling gratefully as if he'd already known their answer would be yes. "Thank you." He waved a hand at the Goron guards blocking the way to the mines. "Let them pass!"

The only time Maeva had ever been forced to deal with fire was during her short stint alone, tracking Zant's army and thinking of a way to defeat him, before she carried out her pathetic plan and nearly died of asphyxiation. She'd been hungry, and there was only a barren wasteland before her, making it impossible to gather food from the earth. Luckily, she wandered into a traveling tribe of humans who were totally unaware of the markings Zant had returned to her in the blanket of night. They allowed her to rest in their temporary camp, and she watched them skin and prepare to cook hunted beasts in a fire. Meat tasted gray, which she hated, but if she was to survive hunting Zant down, she'd known she had to accustom herself to it. Of course, the next morning the tribespeople caught clear sight of her skin and thought the symbols a curse – they weren't wrong – and forbade her from traveling with them, but that was a normal occurrence now.

She had wondered, then, during that one night with those nomads, how it might feel to be cooked alive. The beasts were always dead, obviously, but it was just a thought. She didn't think she might ever have the chance to discover the answer, and she hadn't prayed hard enough so that she wouldn't.

It was only right that the Gorons be named guardians of the mountain, Ooccoo thought. They didn't sweat and they certainly wouldn't feel like they were melting simply because of close proximity to the magma bubbling within the volcano. As soon as the oocca stepped inside, she covered her nose and with a wing and felt her red eyes tearing up. That vapor she could smell from the fumaroles was everywhere. She wouldn't topple over and gasp for air anytime soon, but it was a nearly unbearable stench that wafted everywhere. How her son could stand it was unfathomable! She wanted to take him out of there, immediately, or ask him to remain with the Gorons, but he seemed so happy to be with their friends that she couldn't bring herself to.

"Really?" Gor Coron asked before he bade them good luck, when even Gale complained about the smell. He'd escorted them at least as far as the entrance of the mines. "We Gorons love that aroma. It is the smell of home."

Being anywhere close to the magma was giving death a better chance at claiming them earlier than was destined, but Maeva found she almost liked the proximity to the liquid fire. It wasn't about the magma itself, though the concept of it was wondrous; she felt so much stronger near it. She once heard that being close to death gave one a unique sense of being powerful – when she was suffocating in that burning house, that didn't come to mind at all, but this volcano gave her that feeling. Self-control was the only thing standing between her and death. It was invigorating.

"You shouldn't stand so close to the edge," Link's voice rose from the din of magma lapping against the rocks. They had jumped over fire geysers, used Bo's Iron Boots because they were the only things heavy enough to push down floor switches that temporarily turned off pipes that spewed out magma like a sewer drain, and sprinted past the exhausts to reach a door, and that was still in the same room as the entrance. Maeva had been staring into the magma for at least a minute already. What could be going on in her mind now? He had to work on taking a new approach with her, especially since her attitude towards him was constantly shifting.

She glanced back, looking irritated about what he assumed was his intrusion into whatever she might have been thinking about, but nodded. Well. She was always cooperative, but usually begrudgingly so. This was rare.

When Link pushed the door aside, Ooccoo Junior and Gale were so overjoyed to breathe in the fresh air that they flew out without giving him so much as a nod. Maeva did much of the same thing often, so Link was accustomed to it, and was only too glad to be out of the heat to think about it. Although outside was still within the mountain, fumaroles were largely absent from the equation in this area, which was filled with mostly structure and grilles. Barnes told him that Gorons were highly technological, with machinery that far outclassed human systems, and he hadn't understood it until now. There were arm-like metal extensions from cylindrical buildings almost as high as the mountain peaks themselves, with octagonal platforms as hands. Teal rock shimmered on the surface. What purpose did that serve for their mining?

"Link! Maeva! Look!" Ooccoo Junior shouted from behind a box of crates.

Ooccoo's wings flapped audibly as she made her way from Link's hat to the crate. "Oh! One of those floor switches!"

"But no exhausts," Link noted. He pointed to the teal octagonal platform. "To get that arm moving, maybe?"

Midna's voice stirred from the shadows. "Just press it," she urged, and only Maeva could see her grinning. "There's no other way to get across the mountain. What's the harm in trying a totally foreign power?" And then the imp shot Maeva a glance. "Oh…I know."

Maeva shot back a glare – or maybe it was only his imagination. It was gone when he blinked, and when Maeva glared, it often lasted for at least three seconds. What relationship existed between them? He often wondered. One was a creature of the twilight and the other was a human with those intricate twilight markings he wished he could read. Maeva stared at her arms often during meals when Ooccoo wasn't trying to drag her into the conversation. There was hatred written all over her face whenever she did, but even so, her gaze was distant. She detested those monsters, that much was clear, but appeared ambivalent about the markings.

"What are you waiting for?" Maeva asked, quirking an eyebrow as she noticed his gaze. Midna had already returned to his shadow. "Press the switch."

Her frown was steadily growing, and Link decided it was time to find the Fused Shadow instead of dawdling around and thinking, so he hobbled over to the switch and stepped on it. At the center of the area, the cylindrical machine holding the extensions groaned to life, and while the teal rock on its octagonal platform shimmered, the sound it emitted came out as a crackle, like the first warnings of heavy thunder.

"Wow! What is that?" Ooccoo Junior asked, perching himself on top of Maeva's head. "It's such a pretty color!"

"Curious," Ooccoo agreed.

"Only one way to find out!" Gale exclaimed.

Maeva walked forward instinctively, craning her neck to attempt a closer view of the platform's seemingly magical surface. Link followed closely behind, admiring the way the rock shone even without light, but was dismayed to find his feet pushing him towards Maeva as though he were magnetized to her.

The girl whirled with a ready glare. "Will you—"

"Whoa!" Link let out a shout, the sensation of his feet leaving the ground both exhilarating and frightening, but that was the last thing on his mind. It seemed to take forever: his boots were taking him high into the air; all he thought of was staying rooted to the steel flooring of the Goron structures, and all he saw was Maeva's annoyed expression turning to one of – what was that? Worry? – as she reached for his outstretched hands with her own. And then time snapped back to its usual pace, both of them screaming in shock, and then Link was hanging upside down from the platform and Maeva was hanging on for dear life, yelling about killing him if he ever let go.

"Link! Maeva!" Ooccoo and her son gasped, flying to catch up with them. The teal platform shifted, moving from the southern end of the area to the eastern, not that any of them could tell. Ooccoo sat on Maeva's head, asking Link what happened.

"Get – off – me!" Maeva demanded, shaking her head.

"Stop it, Maeva!" Ooccoo Junior said, "You're going to fall!"

"How is my hat still on?" Link asked, trying to make light of the situation. He didn't want his head to explode from the blood, but he couldn't release Maeva, and Ooccoo's voice was penetrating his brain and he couldn't think properly if he was agitated…

"What in the world is going on up there?" Gale yelled from below them.

"Link, your frivolity is infuriating!" Maeva shouted with ringing frustration. "How do we get down from here?"

"Shh! Quiet!" Link ordered, tightening his grip on Maeva. Everyone hushed. His expression softened at the silence, and Maeva's wide eyes turned into a glare. He sounded apologetic saying, "I'm…I'm trying to think. Maeva, do you think your staff can nullify the effect between the boots and the crystal long enough for us to get down?"

"Perhaps," Maeva grunted, her mind focused on her dangling feet. Uncertainty was such torture, and if Ooccoo shifted around on her head one more time… "But do you really think that is the pressing issue?"

"I can pull you up," said Link, straining his neck to glance up at his boots. "My hands can support your feet if—Ooccoo, please, would you mind taking Gale and waiting for us over there?" He jerked his head in the direction of their intended drop-off point with so much difficulty, it looked like he was swinging his hat just for fun, instead.

"Ready?" Link asked, pulling Maeva's left hand especially tightly when she was finished watching Ooccoo fly away with a glare. "Climb with your right, first. Junior, are you listening? This all depends on you."

Ooccoo Junior, overjoyed to be delegated with such a significant task (though he had no idea what it could be), puffed up his cheeks and nodded his body. "Don't worry, Link! I'll help you and Maeva get down!"

"All right. When Maeva's feet are in my hands, we need you to get her staff and give it to her. Maeva will remove my boots from the platform when we can land next to where Gale and your mother are. Do you understand?"

"Mmhmm! Go, Maeva, go!"

Link's serious tone unnerved Maeva still, but she began to climb him. Grabbing his right bicep with her right arm, she could feel him bend his knees to support her weight. This had to be the most bizarre thing she had ever done, and suddenly she felt apprehensive about carrying it out. Would Link's arm not stretch beyond its boundaries, as she pulled herself up on him? This was his plan, of course, so he was liable for his own pain if anything happened. Yes. And in any case, as Maeva clenched her fist against his bicep and held on, he seemed to flex in an attempt not to let that happen. His left bicep was just as difficult to hold on to, but soon she had lifted herself by it, and there came the dilemma – there was nowhere else to hold on after Link's arms. Although, perhaps she could lift herself to his torso, though that would entail wrapping her arms around it, and she wasn't certain his body would be able to take it, considering that the only thing keeping her hanging that way were Link's feet. And if only it weren't so hot…

"Maeva," said the warm air that was becoming a constant on her cheek, "ready to keep going?"

Maeva concealed her yelp well enough for it to come out as a tired huff. In her efforts to reach the Iron Boots, she hadn't realized how close she had gotten to his face. Or his mouth, which seemed to curve downward for a smile. She would scold him angrily if her chest wasn't about to burst – it must be the height. She wasn't accustomed to heights anymore, not with her ability lost. In an almost-jump, because it couldn't have been a jump without something to propel herself against, she wrapped her arms around Link's torso. Now, for the thighs—

"Oh, please stop breathing!" she couldn't help but shout downward, to her waist. She knew that despite being his perfect self, Link was having a difficult time, hence the heavy breathing, but she couldn't concentrate. The chosen one inhaled his breath in an instant and did as she asked, if only for a moment.

The moment was enough for her to lift her bend her knees high enough for him to grasp her feet, and finally she was at his boots. "Junior, my staff, please," she said, an arm around the Iron Boots.

Ooccoo Junior handed her the staff – she would never understand his strength – and then the small crystal was pitted against the boots and the platform. Maeva wasn't even certain this would work, but she lodged the staff's tip between the platform crystal and where Link's toes were. With a shockingly easy push, she managed to pry his boot off the crystal, causing Link's leg to fall forward, nearly breaking, until his foot removed itself from the boot and the metal gave a loud thud right beside Ooccoo. Maeva waited for the arm to shift from that landing, to where the switch was and back before doing the same to Link's other boot. Gale softened their fall with a comforting cyclone.

Link sat up and shook his head. "That was close."

While the rest discussed the mechanics of the Iron Boots and how they appeared to lose their magnetism as soon as Link removed his feet from them, Maeva looked over her shoulder, behind the rails of the landing, to peer into the bubbling lava. It was the hero's way to narrowly avoid death, that much was certain, and yet following the right track made her feel like vomiting. Noticing Ooccoo's creased eye ridges, however, Maeva stood, shaking her vertigo away, and declared that they press further.

Another pool of magma awaited them within, providing a searing light in the mountain cavern from below. Link walked ahead with Gale, Ooccoo and her son, discussing Maeva-didn't-know-or-care, because she was busy attempting not to feel her clothes, drenched in sweat and clinging much too closely to her body by marveling at how the rocks didn't melt upon contact with the magma. For a moment, she imagined that she was part of the mountain, and felt daring enough to skirt the edges near the magma despite Ooccoo Junior's earlier warnings, so that if she tilted her head in just an angle, it would seem as though she were floating on liquid fire. So enamored was she of this thought that she missed her foot on the bright red tail of a low-lying lizard beast endemic to Death Mountain – the fire-breathing dodongo.

"Wha—!" Link shouted, jumping and turning around immediately. He spared the dodongo a moment of confusion before looking down at his flaming brown boots.

"Gracious! Someone put that out!" Ooccoo gasped, taking the task upon herself by flapping her wings in Link's direction. That was a mistake, however, as they fire grew only larger, and Link could do nothing but stomp about in an attempt to snuff it.

Snapping out of her reverie, Maeva was so shocked at what appeared to be Link dancing that she thought she might laugh, but the dodongo was rearing its head at her, very unhappy about being awakened, and poising itself to breathe more fire. Realizing its existence, she jumped out of the way and landed on her elbows in a pile of crates. The boxes at her feet burst into flames as the dodongo's fire made contact with them. Maeva rolled out of the way, drawing her staff, and sliced it against the dodongo, unaware that its skin was as thick and invulnerable as metal.

"Ooccoo!" Link couldn't stop himself from shouting. The oocca was still fanning at him, and from his peripherals he could see Maeva running away from that fire-breathing lizard. He would help her if he wasn't considering jumping into the magma to put out his flaming boots!

"Oh, let me!" Gale groaned, throwing herself at Ooccoo to push her aside, shooing Ooccoo Junior off at the same time, and then sent a calming wind Link's way, the kind she had used many times to put out forest fires her own sisters caused.

Maeva was running because her staff had never failed her against a beast before. Mostly because she had only ever hunted in forests and plains, where animals were furry and easy to skin. The dodongo's scales were near-impermeable, and this one was quick on its feet and chasing her swiftly, pausing only to take in the heat to produce fire. In the darkness of the mountain cavern with only magma as light, however, she was a better jumper. It took all of one leap towards an outlying rock amidst the noisy magma pool to outrun the oversized lizard. She glanced back as she landed on her knees, the friction of her arrival burning tiny holes into her trousers, and watched with morbid pleasure as the dodongo's skin hissed and melted against the shifting shapes inside the magma.

A sigh of relief among the many she had expended today. Maeva congratulated herself for jumping a distance most humans would struggle through – though her jumps seemed to be related to adrenaline and panic rather than to her own power returning to her in the human skin – but paused as the heat from behind her was, for a second, replaced with cold air. There was also that sound of a man – a woman? something – drawing their breath, and Maeva turned to come face-to-face with a dodongo's mouth.

She peered into the depths of its charred brown throat, pink only where the fire didn't touch. The flames swirled from within its belly and surged out in a spiral, and despite being surrounded by magma, Maeva could feel the heat licking her face. Thoughtlessly, she thrust her staff forward into the dodongo's mouth, realizing what occurred only at the sight of its eyes rolling to the back of its head.

Maeva gasped not in disgust but in fear for her staff, thinking the crystalline edge would surely be ruined by now, but the staff was as good as new when she pulled it out. Without any ash marks, even. Briefly wondering what might happen if she dipped it into the lava, she decided against it and stood instead, leaping back to the others.

"Are you all right?" asked Link.

"Are you?" she answered, going round him, and was astonished to see that his Hero's Clothes were intact, not a thread out of place, or color. "Those garments…are truly made of magic, aren't they?"

Quoting what he remembered of Faron's speech, Link said, "From the goddesses themselves. But so is your staff. I saw what you did to the dodongo. Real crafty."

Maeva felt a grin tugging at her lips. What was this? How irritating. She felt pride from his compliment! But it was only natural, she supposed, even if it was from Link, of all people. Still, she wouldn't show that any of his words affected her, especially because his compliment was not particularly about her but about her staff, and Midna was right there…

Link saw Maeva's eyes downcast, staring into his shadow. He could guess and guess correctly why she closed her almost smiling lips at the sight of it, but said instead, "We should move on, don't you think?"

Past the rocks and over the thick magma pool was a Door. Maeva categorized it as an important door partly because it led to a little room with another elevated arena and tiny seats to the side as though arranged for an audience – which made her wonder how any Goron fit there – but mostly because an elder Goron with smoking geyser cones on his back stood hunched over a cane, watching them with a grave expression on his face.

"Greetings," said Link when they approached him. Maeva recognized it as his Mayor act, because it was the same act that convinced his villagers to believe that he was meant to hold the position in the future. "We've come to…"

"Gor Amoto is my name," said the plump little Goron, pleasantly, but with a slow tone that made Maeva's eyes squint and hope he would speak more quickly. "I thought I felt a presence…what a surprise to find young humans…"

Link nodded, motioning to them one by one. "It's an honor to meet you, elder. I'm Link. These are my companions, Maeva, Gale, Ooccoo, and her son, Ooccoo Junior. Gor Coron sent us to retrieve the key shards and save your…patriarch? Darbus."

Gor Amoto nodded, briefly sparing Gale in Link's hand a curious glance as he handed Link a key shard. "Word has come to me of you…if Gor Coron has faith in you, then your heart must be true. The two elders are at altars in the mine…they are praying. Go…please, save our tribe's patriarch! He suffers under the power of evil…"

Everyone paused for a moment, waiting for him to say more. He spoke so slowly that they thought he might have something else to add.

Gor Amoto tilted his head at them curiously before waving his cane at them. "Why…Why do you remain? You must hurry to the other elders!"

"Right," Link said, glancing back at the others sheepishly. "Thank you, Gor Amoto."

Gor Amoto bade them goodbye with another wave of his cane, shaking his head at them as they exited through a door opposite where they entered. Maeva was glad to leave – she thought they would last an eternity in that altar! – but as she turned her head to face the new area they had entered, she felt no more desire to press on.

"Water!" Oocoo Junior cheered. They had found a bluish cavern in a pool consisting of floating rocks as steps towards the other end, much like where Maeva had stepped on a dodongo, only this one contained no magma. A single grille stretching from the top of the cavern to the bottom of the water barred the way to the exit.

"What a relief," Link said, though it was posed as a statement one was meant to agree with. He touched the water with a bare hand. Warm, but at least he wouldn't disintegrate upon contact. That was as much as anyone could ask for in this volcano.

The others piped up in agreement, as expected, while Maeva muttered to herself, glaring at the water with haughty disdain. Something violet glinted in the water that she thought might have been a rupee, only it was slowly rising to the surface and it was pressed onto a deformed red mound of wrinkled skin, which in turn was connected to four spindly legs, bent at first until they sprang, launching the violet thing into the air. An eye, it registered in Maeva's mind, though she had already instinctively drawn an arrow against Link's bow.

"Ooccoo Junior, watch out!" she shouted a moment before she released the bowstring, shooting the monster square in its eye. It gave a dying shriek before falling back into the water.

"Wow," Link remarked. Maeva was pleased.

"Thanks, Maeva!" Oocoo Junior said as though he hadn't almost been attacked by a hideous leaping thing, floating closer to the water to look at the monster's corpse.

"Gracious!" Ooccoo gasped, flapping her wings at her son. "Stay close to Maeva, dear! You never know what sorts of creatures lurk around here…Thank you, dear," she said to the girl.

Maeva blinked. "You…Ooccoo, are welcome." She caught a smile Link threw her way, however, and shook herself out of it. Why should she be surprised? She had saved Ooccoo Junior, and it was only right that his mother thank her. It was the hero's way to accept gratitude. Reluctantly, she said, "Let us move on. We've wasted enough time."

Link hopped from rock to rock towards the grille, glancing back every so often to watch Maeva lag behind. "Look here," he said, extending a hand out to Maeva as she joined him on the floating rock, but wasn't surprised that she didn't take it. "Part of the fencing is broken off. We can swim down, swim through, and get to the next challenge."

"Yoohoo!" the cavern caused Ooccoo's voice to bounce around. "Link! Maeva! We're rooting for you!"

The oocca, as well as Gale, had already made it past the fence. They surrounded the door, waving and, as was the boomerang's case, floated around in circles on a small cyclone. Maeva clenched her jaw before it fell. "How did you get there?"

They had flown in through a little less than half a meter's width of space between the top of the grilles and the cavern ceiling. Maeva briefly contemplated turning back and finding another way, but Link had already dove into the water. Clicking her tongue, she climbed the fence and forced her body between the cavern ceiling and the cold fence, then skipped over the pool to sit beside the others.

Link glanced back as soon as he rose out of the water, searching for his reluctant companion, only to realize by way of an impatient sigh near him that he hadn't needed to. She sat cross-legged on the dry rock, narrowing her eyes at him the way she always did. In fact, this was an improvement. It was a thoughtful kind of glaring, in his mind.

"Oh. Hi," he grinned, wringing his hat dry. He attempted to shake his hair dry, too, and realized that it was the wolf moving. Maeva pointed at where she'd climbed over in reply to his clueless stare, but he'd already figured that out. Slight bruises formed over her stomach and her collarbone where the metal grated against her skin. He didn't understand the aversion to water, but decided against asking. He didn't exactly feel like having insults thrown at him that moment, as much as he liked watching different expressions glancing her face, and the thought of Darbus had him busy. He hoped the patriarch wasn't lurking in a murky lake with aggressive snapping plants. "I don't think I would have fit there. Good plan, though."

Outside the door was the same open area where they had found the first octagonal platform, only this path led them down its cylindrical base, where another switch waited for them. After much deliberation within the party – during, in truth, since Midna interrupted them and demanded that they move on – Link pressed the switch and was hurtled into the air by another passing platform with crystals, barely yanking Maeva off the ground before standing upside-down again. They repeated the process of removing Link from the crystal, this time near a different door, and found themselves in a brand new magma pit. Instead of dodongo and crates and red rocks, the shining blue-green crystals from the platforms made the cavern walls. The party gave a collective 'oh.'

"There won't be jumping to the rocks," Maeva noted when she was finished marveling. Perhaps she could, but only with enough adrenaline. She felt so helpless. Not bothering to hide her frustration, she muttered, "They are too few and far between. How do those Goron even cross these areas?"

"I could carry you," Link suggested, shrugging at her question. "Across, to the door. I won't let go."

"I'll fall once you get to the ceiling," Maeva replied curtly and doubtfully.

"You could shift as soon as I turn to the ceiling. Like outside," said Link, though it sounded more like he was only thinking out loud. "There's no other way across."

"You can do it, Maeva!" Ooccoo Junior cheered, already at the door. How Maeva wished to be a head with wings behind her ears at that moment, but there was no other way. If she could only leap…!

Link carried Maeva on piggyback once he donned the Boots, as the party had come to call them. Her arms and legs were wrapped around his neck and waist, but she turned her head away so as not to face him at all, he surmised, which was something he expected of her. The lack of a distraction was all for the better, anyway. He hobbled over to the crystals and started to climb. It was extremely difficult, staying upright and keeping Maeva behind him. The muscles in his stomach shook from the task, and were given a reprieve only when he began to walk more upside down than right-side up, which was when Maeva allowed herself to slip down, slowly, so that only her hand in his kept her from falling into the magma.

His back and stomach ached like anything, but Link provided Maeva with his usual smile. "How are you doing there?"

Maeva strained her neck to look up and glare at him, but her tone wasn't as snappy as he thought it might be. "As well as anyone dangling from a ceiling might be."

"Don't worry," he said. "I won't let you—"

"What is that?" Maeva interrupted, her voice ringing with alarm. Her eyes were directed at something past him. "It's—it's on fire. It's coming closer. Put it out, Link. Put it out!"

Link hardened his stomach and pulled himself to see his feet. A flaming slug was creeping towards him, breathing small bouts of fire, and try as he might he couldn't lift his foot and step on it. Removing his foot from any one of the Boots would render them ineffective so it wasn't an option. With his free hand, he reached for his sword, but it was futile. The arm holding Maeva was too far-stretched, and he didn't have the strength to pull her up any more and even poke the slug with the tip of his sword.

Maeva let out a groan. "I'll do it," she said, drawing her staff with her empty hand, and held the end of it so she could swing it upward. Link was barely able to move his face before she thrust it at the ceiling, but the staff wasn't long enough, either. She grunted, swinging her feet slightly so as to further her reach. "If I could only—"

"Maeva, don't move!" Link gasped, his fingers losing their grip on hers as they started to sweat from the effort.

"Be quiet, Link, I can—" Maeva realized it too late. The tighter she held, the faster she slipped from his grasp. "Don't let go—!"

"I can't—Maeva!" Link's scream echoed through the cavern as the last of her touch left him.

"I'll save you, Maeva!" Ooccoo Junior cried out, dashing from his place beside his mother and spinning around Maeva's figure thrice. Link saw the familiar black of Midna's shadow tendrils shoot out from the Boots, but even she was too late. Ooccoo Junior and Maeva disappeared with a pop.

…

Maeva's shrieking was cut off abruptly by the sharp thump of her posterior against hard ground. Something fell on her stomach – Ooccoo Junior. Taking him in her hand and touching her own face with the other, she gave a short laugh of realization. She was not dead, not melting in magma, not a ghost out to kill Link. Well, she supposed it was partly her fault she slipped away, but she would never tell him that.

"You saved me," she said to Ooccoo Junior and, for the first time since she came to Zelda's side, felt the bones in her fingers shake. "Thank you, Ooccoo Junior."

"You're welcome," said the boy, pink dashing his pale cheeks in an adorable yet eerie manner. He really was an odd creature, but who was she to speak? "That's what friends do, right?"

"Of course," agreed Maeva, allowing him to take flight around her head. She noticed a red sphere behind his small head, but it was out of focus and she was too grateful for him to think on it. "We are friends."

"Right!" Ooccoo Junior grinned. "So…I think we should go back to Mama now. I can always find her no matter what."

Maeva nodded. "She had crossed the magma, of course…" And then, coming to an epiphany, she slapped a hand over her face. "Ugh…that's it! All of this trouble…"

"What do you mean, Maeva?"

"You could have teleported us across the magma. It was a short distance – when we tested your powers that night in Link's house, you'd gone even farther. This was all for naught."

"Oh yeah!" Ooccoo Junior laughed, not sounding as though he found it regrettable at all, but Maeva understood that this was the way of a child. It had been hers once, too. "Anyway, we should—ungh!"

"Junior—!" Maeva grabbed his small body, throwing herself forward to avoid the red beam of light that had injured the boy and running behind the nearest grille. When she was sure of their safety, she finally gave the room the attention she should have before – it was circular, surrounded by six or seven rectangular statues that spun slowly, a red light on each of them. That was one of the red spheres she had noticed in passing – the same one that shot out a scathing red beam. Near each statue were grilles, one of which she had dove behind.

Breathing heavily, the surprise still in her voice, she asked, "J-Junior?"

Ooccoo Junior's eyes were closed, a part of his skin seared from where the red beam had hit him. Unconscious, but still breathing.

"No. No, no, no, no, no…" Maeva repeated, her mind freezing and overworking at the same time, thoughts of Ooccoo's sobs and Link's disappointment swirling in her head all at once, fighting for dominance. Ooccoo Junior saved her and she repaid him by allowing him to come to harm. He depended on her and trusted her and now this happened, and it was exactly what Zant did to her, wasn't it? Just a little boy… That was her way, she supposed – letting people down. That wasn't the hero's way at all. What would she do? All their curative items were with Link. Bandages, potions—

Maeva felt tears prickling her eyes, but she stubbornly blinked them away. She was nothing like Zant. Zant had protected her with every intention to harm her in the future should she stand in his way. That was his way. Not hers. "I will take you to safety," she promised Ooccoo Junior, and couldn't be more thankful for the door that stood before her now, behind one of the spinning statues. She hadn't noticed it in her panicked state.

Maeva bit her lip so as not to cry out in relief when she rushed down a descending path with deep skid marks and saw a brown Goron with innumerable colored tattoos sitting on top of an arena, a meaningful grin on his long face.

"You are here at last!" he laughed, bidding her come closer, though she hadn't needed his permission. "I heard that you might pay a visit, young—"

"You must aid my friend," Maeva pleaded, getting to her knees before his cross-legged figure and showing him the fainted oocca. "He was hurt by a statue outside, and I have no curative items. Please."

The Goron seemed quite thrown off, but he nodded and rose, dashing to a shelf in the room and taking a red flask. Pouring a yellow salve from it into his hand, he rubbed it on Junior's wound and gave Maeva a smile with his foam green lips. "His wounds should heal soon, young human."

His words wouldn't placate her. Restlessly, she smoothed a finger over Junior's wings. "What is the purpose of those statues? Are you so averse to visitors?" As soon as the words passed her lips, her eyes narrowed. This place was an altar. "…you must be an elder. My name is Maeva. We were sent here–"

"To aid our patriarch, Darbus, yes," said the Goron, nodding knowingly. "I am farsighted in all things – you may call me Gor Liggs. We have Beamos statues to keep bulblins away; ever since Darbus changed…many monsters have flocked to Death Mountain. But you should know this; did Gor Coron fail to mention it?"

"I…was otherwise preoccupied when he spoke with my companions." She certainly hadn't remembered anything of the sort, thanks to Ooccoo and Gale's chattering beside her.

Gor Liggs shrugged flippantly. "Now, the Hero's Bow you claimed. It is said that—"

"I've claimed no such thing," Maeva replied, flinching a little when the elder turned his head at her sharply. "My friend and I were separated from our companions before we managed to."

The colorful elder appeared thoughtful. "Hm. A little ways from this room is where you will find the Hero's Bow. You will have to pass through the Beamos statues again, but I see you already possess a bow of your own. Why not claim it now, while I care for the child?"

"I can't leave Ooccoo Junior," Maeva replied instantly. "He is my responsibility. I can wait for him – surely the Mine has more challenges for our companions."

"Hrrph…I see…" Gor Liggs nodded and motioned to where she stood. "Take a seat, young human."

Maeva gave a thank you and sat. When she realized that Ooccoo Junior would not wake soon, she trained her vision to her surroundings. While Gor Amoto's altar was simple, this elder's was decorated with hunting trophies. Flattened torch slugs and dodongo were strung to the walls like ornaments. Shelves were spread out around the room, stocked with colorful flasks, one of which he had used on Junior. Drapes hanging from the ceiling were brown, striped with soft colors, highly contrasted to the blinding bright magma: purple, foam green, chrome yellow, that – Maeva noticed at the very end of her inspection – matched the tattoos of the tall, lean Goron elder before her.

Gor Liggs was not a stocky Goron. He was the thinnest out of all she had seen, in fact, though he seemed much sprightlier than Gor Amoto, who spoke slowly and made her more impatient. He spoke with a certain vigor that gave Maeva hope, at least in the face of Ooccoo Junior's injury. His tattoos were very curious. His entire body was painted a dark taupe, which couldn't be very comfortable.

When Maeva shifted and touched her arm, imagining how uneasy she might be in his place, she realized that Gor Liggs was staring at her staring at him. He wasn't looking at her markings, either – just her.

She gave an embarrassed cough. "Your…tattoos are very interesting, elder."

Gor Liggs smiled. "As are you, young human. I have seen few of your kind with paint like ours."

Your kind. What a nice thought, but surely he knew better. "You must have seen the treasure that drove your patriarch mad. My tattoos are derived from that ancient piece."

"Then, you are not proud of your markings?" asked the elder, tilting his head innocently. His purpose was unclear to Maeva, and before she could answer, he continued. "Paint symbolizes our origins – the tribe from which we hail, our family within it, and even our own history. We inscribe new markings in our skin with every victory or loss."

"Your losses?" Maeva shook her head in confusion. "Why recall what shames you?"

The elder chuckled as though he'd expected such a query. "Victory has no merit for one who has never failed. But one who has lost times before takes his triumph to heart. Your tattoos…are unnerving," he admitted, so quietly Maeva thought she might have imagined it. She had expected that, his fear, but not the apology in his tone. "They bring to mind what has become of Darbus. But I am farsighted in all things, and you are not in league with those who would harm our patriarch."

Maeva glanced up at Gor Liggs and his large, beady eyes. There was something honest about the gaze of a Goron, as though they knew nothing of deceit. She didn't quite understand what he'd meant about their tattoos, but he was kind. "Thank you," she said, "for saying that."

"M…Maeva?"

"Junior!" Maeva nearly jumped, kneeling closer to the stirring oocca child so that her elbows touched the ground. "How do you feel?"

"I'm…fine now," said the boy, smiling slightly, flapping his wings as though testing them before leaping into the air and flying, bouncing before them up and down. "What happened?" he turned his body to face Gor Liggs. "Who are you?"

Utterly relieved, Maeva introduced the elder Goron and the young oocca before explaining to him what occurred with the Beamos statues. They thanked Gor Liggs profusely for his aid, received a key shard for their troubles and his, and stepped outside the altar.

"Ooccoo Junior," Maeva began when she rolled the door to Gor Liggs' room closed, "forgive me. I could have saved you from the Beamos statue, but I chose not to take notice of it."

"It's all right, Maeva!" Ooccoo Junior laughed at her worry, floating around her head. The back of his was patched with a piece of cloth that kept his wound closed. "But we should go back to my mama now, don't you think? Link and Gale must be really worried, too."

Maeva had almost forgotten about the others. Her mind was filled with the magic of Gor Liggs' words, but Ooccoo Junior was right. In a sense. "Gor Liggs gave me permission to take the Hero's Bow, in a room past the Beamos statues. If it isn't in Link's possession, we might as well take it."

"Hmm…" Ooccoo Junior flitted about abruptly, careful not to have the Beamos statues catch sight of him. "I do smell treasure. Let's go, Maeva!"

She happily obliged. Ooccoo Junior flew over the statues easily, following his nose to a nearby door. Maeva followed suit, darting across the room when all the statues were turned away.

Reaching into her shirt, Maeva scratched the area between her neck and her right shoulder blade. It was very hot. Inside the elder's altar she had almost forgotten this fact, but trapped on an island around which magma swirled threateningly, as if raring to swallow the large chest in its center, the prickling heat irritated her skin like healing wounds. After scratching her other arm, head, and effectively ruining her hair with sweat, she knelt down, took the chest by middle, and heaved it open with a grunt.

The Hero's Bow was so intricately crafted that Maeva didn't want to touch it at first. It seemed brand new; its metal braces shone in the magma without a single spot of rust. Two figures were carved against its face and recurve, covered in leaves and circular formations that resembled clouds, respectively. She didn't understand who they might be, at first, until she removed the accompanying quiver from the chest. A woman against the backdrop of what she recognized as Death Mountain was sewed into the design. The figures on the Bow were women as well – the three goddesses of the light realm.

"Wow," Ooccoo whispered, staring at the Bow and quiver with as much wonder as his older companion while he rested on her shoulder. "It's so pretty."

Maeva nodded in agreement, tracing her fingers against the wreath laced into Farore's hair when all of a sudden, successive rumblings that rocked the earth – something she had grown accustomed to – threw her off balance. But it was the nearby bellowing that bothered her and Ooccoo Junior.

"Rorrhhhohhhhh!"

Only Link could draw such a pitiful cry from the proud Gorons. And Bo, perhaps, in his prime.

"It's coming from over here!" Ooccoo Junior declared, motioning to the door opposite whence they came. "Come on, Maeva!"

As soon as they entered the area, the earth shook and Maeva instinctively grabbed the railings of the hanging bridge on which she stood. Chains dangled from the ceiling. She guessed it was another challenge – the Gorons deliberately cut off the bridge so that only those worthy enough could cross by swinging across with hooked chains, or risk a slow, fiery death. Another quake proved her wrong. Regaining her balance, Maeva peered down into the familiar depths of magma – only in this area, a half-sphere of the teal rock floated on the liquid fire, swaying and tilting to the movements of its inhabitants.

While Ooccoo Junior found Gale and his mother on the other side of the bridge across the chains, Link battled it out with a Goron thrice his size below.

Dangoro was a young, impressionable Goron. He had always been larger than those his age – almost as imposing as the patriarch, in fact – and would have been trained by Darbus himself if not for a deciding flaw in his character. Unfortunately, Dangoro was easily fooled by his playmates, the grandson of Gor Liggs especially. When the elder council of Gorons realized he was not fit to be the next patriarch, he was relegated to sentry duty deep in the heart of their Mines. Dangoro took no offense at all and was only too happy to be of use to his tribe.

Now, the last time he heard from any of his elders, there were to pass no humans. And Dangoro followed orders – it was one thing he prided himself on being the best at. No human would pass, even if he seemed friendly and wore the appearance of the Hero of legend with his golden hair and tried to reason with him with a mellifluous voice that would have lulled him to sleep if he wasn't so expertly focused on his task. So when the human clad in green stepped into the teal platform with some difficulty (like his more intelligent Goron elders, Dangoro knew nothing of footwear), Dangoro ignored all attempts at amiable speech and charged his helmeted head at him.

The chains holding the platform to the bridge had loosened when Dangoro attacked him. After losing Maeva and Ooccoo Junior, Link had crossed the teal ceiling and dropped down, after which he listened to Midna rant in a language he didn't understand. She raised her voice as she faced him, Ooccoo, Gale, the lava, the ceiling, the air, everything – so that he had no idea who it was she was truly angry with. She calmed down when Ooccoo and Gale gave comforting words, but he knew better than to speak; Midna might accuse him for being the actual cause of their separation, and it wasn't something he wanted to hear in any tongue. If he had only held on tighter…

In any case, Ooccoo assured them all that if she could still feel her son's presence, he certainly still lived. Maeva's life was an accessory to this. What confused them was why Ooccoo Junior would not simply teleport back to his mother. She had raised him with the thought of always returning to her, wherever they went. Even when they met Gor Ebizo and received the second key shard, the two still didn't return.

His feet had begun to weigh heavier then, even when he wasn't wearing the Boots. It was Midna's doing, he knew. When she inhabited his shadow, he could feel – something – from her. Emotions, though heavily obscured. Link was accustomed to the weight of what he had finally identified as anger on his shadow, but nothing else. Before Maeva disappeared and Midna's shadows had shot out from his Boots in an attempt to catch her, his feet had been incredibly heavy. He thought it might be worry, but the Hero dared not presume. For all their thinly veiled insults and arguments with each other, Midna and Maeva were shockingly alike in their temperaments. Midna only hid it better with a giggle while Maeva wore her disgruntlement on her sleeve.

Midna shifted to Ooccoo's shadow when he wore the Iron Boots in the face of Dangoro. Perhaps she, too, knew the weight she brought on him and the encumbrance it posed. And he still hadn't found Maeva and Ooccoo Junior.

After failing to talk sense into the hulking Goron and being punched in the head like a rag doll (which would have caused him to fall into the magma had the Iron Boots not rooted him to his spot), Link handled Dangoro the same way he handled the rest of his kinsmen. He braced himself when Dangoro curled himself into a ball, held his arms out to stop him, and waited for the friction to burn his fingers until he had caught enough of his skin to throw him aside. Dangoro reacted surprisingly well to the magma, however, only yelping and jumping right back onto the platform.

Weary after several tries, Link wondered if he should begin taking another approach to slapping some sense into the Goron guard when Dangoro himself held up a fist that could easily crush his body in half and panted, "All right…Okay. That…hurt a lot." He continued speaking to himself, breathing heavily the way Link didn't know Gorons could. "Who knew that humans were capable of such feats of strength…"

"I didn't…want to fight," Link said slowly but loudly, so it might get drilled into Dangoro's head, though his voice was hoarse with fatigue and his face moist with sweat. "I…I only…"

"Uh…Maybe…" Dangoro removed his helmet and tossed it aside to scratch his head. He looked much less menacing that way. "You are…going to see the patriarch of our tribe?"

Finally, Link thought, and gave one vigorous nod. "That's…what Gor Coron sent…sent me here for. I didn't…come here to steal your treasure."

"Ah!" Dangoro's spent expression turned into one of relief. As if on cue, the magma level in the room rose, stopping only when the platform reached its chains. "So that is why you are here! With skills like yours…even the patriarch can be brought back to his senses… Then you may take the Hero's weapon and save our patriarch!"

"Thank you," Link said, inclining his head. "Now—"A high-pitched voice squealed out from behind him. "Junior?"

"Hi, Link!" Ooccoo Junior beamed, taking a seat on his forearm as though nothing had happened. "I saw you defeat the big Goron! You're so strong!"

Link smiled sheepishly before allowing his eyebrows to furrow. "…Where's Maeva?"

"Oh, she's over—"

"Aaargh! Thieeef!" Dangoro's voice boomed from across the bridge. As soon as he'd turned around from speaking with the human who would help their patriarch, he laid his eyes on an even smaller one, this time with tattoos, clad in dreary colors (Dangoro liked bright colors – like the blue of his eyes and protective belt) and with the Hero's weapon! It was meant for the human who had matched him in battle, not this frail-looking one! Raising his fist in preparation for a heavy blow, he let out a roar.

Maeva had been minding her own business, watching the battle as an outsider when it ended. She was relieved – not for Link, of course, but because now they would be able to move on, and Midna would not do so without him – for a moment, until the platform was raised back on level with them and Link's crazed opponent turned, bellowing at her, pulling his fist back—

She yelped and leapt backward, hitting her head and back against the door. "What are you—!"

"Dangoro!" Link dove between the girl and the Goron – preparing another clout that wouldn't miss the second time – and waved his hands haltingly. "Dangoro, stop! Maeva is a friend!"

"Oh." Dangoro dropped his arm and smiled at Maeva as though he hadn't attempted to bludgeon her across the room. "The other human…carried the Hero's weapon. I thought…"

"Ooccoo Junior teleported us to the third elder, who bade us take the Bow. I am not a thief!" Maeva began sounding desperate and ended sounding very displeased with Dangoro. Standing and dusting herself off, refusing Link's help, she whipped out the key shard from Gor Liggs and waved it at Dangoro like a protective talisman. "I couldn't have stolen this, could I?"

She looked rather ridiculous doing it, and Dangoro even sillier for taking a step backward, as though he feared a thing he could easily step on, but Link smiled just the same. "Either way, I'm…glad you're both safe, Maeva."

Without turning her head, Maeva narrowed her eyes at him and then huffed, tossing him the key shard. "You worry so, each time we're separated. I can handle myself."

With that, she walked away into the next room, but not before her gaze flickered to Ooccoo fussing over Ooccoo Junior's wound. Link was beginning to believe that it actually was worry he saw in her eyes, but wasn't able to give it much thought as Midna's silhouette zipped past him to follow Maeva. Her reply was less surly than usual, at least.

Link would have followed, but Dangoro rested a heavy hand on his shoulder. "You…will save our patriarch now? With the other human?"

"Yes," replied the hero chosen by the gods. "She wields the bow in our party."

Dangoro only nodded in comprehension.

"You really must learn to shoot arrows, Link," said Ooccoo, resting on his hat when she was certain Ooccoo Junior was safe. "Now we have two bows, and a proficient hero is a good hero, yes?"

"Right," Link agreed for the sake of it, though the thought hadn't been far from his mind. He focused on the sounds past the door, the high-pitched nonsensical language he remembered Midna spouting just a while ago. Bidding Dangoro fare well, he opened the door and was welcomed by Maeva raising an index finger at Midna's chest.

"I was only trying to destroy the slug at his feet! How was I to know it would all end with me slipping?"

Midna's tiny hand slapped Maeva's away. The imp opened her mouth to reprimand again, but the sight of the others silenced her. Muttering something in that unknown language, she dove back into Link's shadow.

"What happened?" asked Gale immediately.

"Gracious," Ooccoo agreed. "Are you two all right?"

"It was only a discussion – none of your business, really," Maeva snapped. "Now, follow me. Ooccoo Junior and I've come this way before."

They followed in silence, though Ooccoo, her son, and Gale couldn't help but speak as soon as they exited the room that had held the Hero's Bow. Maeva stopped them for a moment to disarm Beamos statues, which Ooccoo Junior explained had been the cause of his wound, and then they passed the last elder's altar to reach the last challenge before Darbus.

"This will be easy," Link said, turning eagerly to his companions. The difficult part would soon begin, but at least he could rest before what he knew would be a battle. "All we have to do…is swim."

That was it; there was no catch at all, no grilles that were ripped at the bottom of the lake, no rocks to jump over. They stood on a cliff and then water below, spanning nearly the entire area, and then some land that would allow them to aid Darbus.

"No," said Maeva, giving emphasis to the 'n' and the 'o' as she peered over the edge of the cliff.

"Why?" Ooccoo Junior asked before Link could. "Swimming will be fun! Come on, Maeva!" Taking off from her shoulder, the oocca flapped his wings slowly before allowing his body to free fall into the water.

"Junior! No!" Maeva stood over the edge to reach out to him, but missed by only so much. When her body realized it was no longer teetering over the edge but falling instead, it threw her off the cliff completely.

Maeva screamed and sputtered in the water, flailing her arms in a foolish manner only one in the party would have expected of her. Her speech was interrupted by gurgling, but her splashing made more noise and no one could make out the words.

"Maeva, what are you doing?" Ooccoo Junior asked, horrified by the sight. "You have to swim!"

"What are you waiting for—?" Midna shrieked, shooting out of the Iron Boots. "Maeva can't swim, you idiot!"

Link had thought she was a little too eager to swim compared to how she'd acted around water before. He'd also thought she was playing, tricking Ooccoo Junior and the rest of them, but perhaps he should have known that that wasn't like her at all. It was just so hard to imagine that she didn't know how—but this was no time to think—so he removed the Boots and plunged into the water.

Maeva remembered someone taking her arms and wrapping them around them, then being dragged across the length of the accursed water to safety. When she was fully conscious, she felt Gale's wind blowing her hair out of her face.

"Are you all right, Maeva? Maeva?" the fairy's voice rose among the others crept into her senses. "Maeva!"

Something pressed down between her chest. She involuntarily coughed out water and then woke, if she was ever asleep. Maeva opened her eyes and Link supported her back, helping her sit up.

"Ugh," she groaned, shaking his hands away from her and squeezing the bridge of her nose. That was the most terrible feeling. She had thought she would pass before seeing retribution come to Zant. "That…"

"I'm sorry, Maeva!" Ooccoo Junior cried, over and over again. "I didn't know you were going to—"

"It's nothing," Maeva waved him off, still coughing. She hated pools of anything. In fact, she'd had enough unwitting falling to last her a lifetime. "I'm…I'm all right."

Link shook his head, still catching up with his own breathing patterns. He had swum them both and their weapons a long way. "Why didn't you tell me you couldn't swim?"

Maeva snorted. And regretted it immediately afterward – even breathing was painful at the moment. "I didn't think it was necessary. In any case, this…this was an accident, wasn't it?"

"Are you sure? Or maybe you really do have a death wish," said Midna, coming out of Link's shadow. Her arms were crossed and her red eyes glared at Maeva like they had never before.

"Only if dying means taking him down with me," Maeva replied in the same grave manner.

Midna only scoffed. "We'll see."

Hurt glanced Maeva's expression, but if he really did see it, Link doubted. It was gone when he blinked. He figured the magma was making him see things – only there was no magma in this area.

"I'm all right," Maeva repeated, now rather irritably, but her legs shook when she tried to move them. They felt wobbly, still.

"Okay, so…" Link stood, adjusting the Pocket behind his waist. I'll go in and see Darbus. Rest here, all right? I'll—"

"No," Maeva answered, the last of her coughs interrupting what should have been a derisive laugh. "Do you think aiding him will be so easy? Why do you think the Gorons lent us this Bow? Assemble the key shards while I regain my equilibrium."

"All right," said Link, raising his hands in surrender. For someone rather choleric, she didn't give orders as often as Midna. Besides, she had the right idea.

They were silent as he assembled the key that would open the great door behind them. Gale continued to fan Maeva, who inclined her head almost reluctantly in gratitude. Ooccoo and Ooccoo Junior watched Link in his task.

It irritated Maeva how Link stared at her when he was finished. She didn't want to look back, so she wasn't certain what it was he was looking at, exactly, but oh, he was staring. She knew it. She wanted to pull his hat down over his eyes and dare him to stare through that.

"All right," she said, though she'd still wanted to rest. Maeva would rather face Darbus than feel his unnerving gaze upon her.

And so they did. After much argument, Ooccoo and her son were left behind to keep them safe, while Gale, insisting that she would be useful, was brought in by Link. As soon as they entered Darbus's chambers, the wide sliding doors behind them slammed shut.

An eerie gust of wind swirled around Link and Maeva. They would have jumped out of their skins had they not realized that it was Gale. Even the boomerang shivered. "…It's so dark."

Maeva couldn't help but agree, although she was referring to something else. The chamber was a dome with pillars inscribed in the wall. Chains on each pillar bound a large thing towering even higher than Dangoro shrouded in shadows, the ancient kind, and just as the figure's shape filled into her head as a Goron – Darbus – the prisoner bellowed, tugging at the shackles on his wrists and ankles, and tore them off the pillars.

The ground shook. Link whipped his head at Maeva. "What was that?"

"Darbus has freed himself from his shackles…!" she replied, not even bothering to take out her staff. It was one thing to battle an enormous, violent plant and another to battle the patriarch of a rock-skinned tribe trapped in ancient power. In any case, Gale and Link figured that out for themselves – parts of the old shadows that had wrapped themselves around Darbus picked away, revealing flames that lit his body and the room itself, a depressing bluish gray.

"Does anyone else find it peculiar that he broke free right as we entered the room?" Gale wailed over Darbus's roaring, but was ignored in favor of backing away. He stomped towards them, each step nearly throwing Maeva and Link off their feet, swinging his heavy chains and further destroying the columns that once bound him.

"Out of the way, you fool—!" Maeva ducked and managed to pull Link down by the belt as the chains were hurled over their heads to chip off parts of the chamber wall, causing debris to tumble down from above.

Gale tore herself from Link's grip and rose to blow the fist-sized rocks just so that they fell beside her companions instead of on them. And then she met Darbus, rushing and whirling around him and sending flurries of harsh winds whipping round his head.

"How does one rouse a flaming madman?" Maeva yelled over the furious wind and the collapsing pillars.

Jumping over them behind her, Link shook his head. "You don't!"

Gale's tactics only confused Darbus for so long. Soon he snarled and swatted his arm, thicker than the boomerang's length, and she fell against the wall like a tiny mosquito.

"Gale!" Link turned away from Maeva to search for the boomerang under the wreckage Darbus had caused.

Maeva heard Link's cry and stopped, watching him dig through the rubble. There could be no way. Darbus was too strong, too big, and they had no Ook to supply them with bombs. In any case, what could they do with bombs? They would only incite the possessed patriarch's anger and cause the dome to collapse over them faster. Gale was incapacitated, Link worried too much, and she – had to think of something. Where was Midna?

No time for that. Darbus had taken notice of her, having lost Link behind all the mess, and began lumbering forward. Maeva looked him over, mind racing and trying to spot a weakness; his shadow heart, his flaming arms, his sharp head?

His head. Something glowed atop it, and not his eyes. A crystal?

Maeva wondered—then drew an arrow from Din's quiver, held it between Farore and Nayru and fired. Darbus howled in pain, falling back and flailing about without a particular target. She wasn't certain if that was what she'd wanted, but it was better than running away. That wouldn't be her way anymore. But…now what?

"Link—!" she shouted, turning, and then flinched at the thought that his name had escaped her mouth. Before she could contemplate why she would call him of all allies and not Midna, she saw him, Gale sticking out of the Hero's Pocket. His face was ashen with wreckage particles, but determinedly the hero grabbed the patriarch's ankle chains and pulled—only to be dragged across the floor with them.

Maeva would laugh were their lives not in peril, but at the moment she could only pull him up and yell at him to do something and do it better.

As if her insults had been an idea, Link bade her stand back and slipped into the Boots. Grabbing the chains again before they could slip away, he held them and stood in place. Still unaware, clutching at his forehead, Darbus moved forward and fell on his flaming belly.

Darbus groaned, attempting to rise, but Link continued to pull on his ankles. Even as a monster, however, he understood what caused his immobility and turned, still on his stomach. A wrist-chain was whipped at the Iron Boots, wrapping around them and pulling Link from under his feet. His head hit the ground with a clunk.

Maeva didn't know why she was suddenly alarmed – she had always wanted to defeat a great monster alone, though before this the great monster had been Zant and his god. Link was out cold and Gale was injured, surely. Well, she thought, shaking herself out of the momentary lapse in what should have been complete focus, now was her chance. Climbing a remaining pillar that brought her as high as the monster's stomach, she aimed arrows at Darbus as he got to his feet. It was a coward's tactic, she knew, but this was for a greater purpose than enslaving the realm of light.

Darbus howled at each arrow that managed to pierce his crystal, stopping only every so often to pull them out. The attacks weakened him visibly, but he struggled forward, relentless in his pursuit to destroy. This must have been the way of the people possessed by the shadows – or perhaps it spoke multitudes of the shadows themselves, but she couldn't brood about that now! Through the corner of her eye, Maeva thought she saw something swirling around Link's body, but she kept her gaze and arrows on the monster.

Darbus was close, now, not less than two bodies near, and very slow, weak. Still, he raised his arm in a familiar gesture – Dangoro – but she was faster. Only a few arrows more and he would fall, but he was swinging his fiery fist down and surely, as though death called to her, she would die if it made contact with her head – yet Maeva fired, one last shot that determined their fate.

It hadn't been death calling to her. It had been Link.

He tackled Maeva as soon as he woke to Gale's screams and harsh winds, knocking her off the ruined column and landing in one of the rubble piles. His head was spinning, but he caught hers in his arms before they hit the debris.

Uncurling from each other, Link and Maeva watched in awe as Darbus howled again, one last time, before the flames on his suddenly frozen body died and a natural light filled the room from – somewhere. The crystal, still in one piece, removed itself from his forehead and fell to the side before turning into a familiar form of heart-shaped glass: a heart container.

Darbus fell to the ground only when the shadows released him, bursting into small pieces filling the room. No one breathed until in one fell swoop, the shadows merged into a broken piece of the Fused Shadows.

Maeva felt the weight remove itself from her and it dawned on her that the weight had been Link. She grimaced – how hadn't she felt extreme discomfort at the contact? Briefly stealing a glimpse at his flushed face, she rose with only a rattled growl and approached Darbus. He was unconscious, but his skin had returned to its natural yellow and gray. The tattoos on his body numbered almost as much as the creases on his rocky exterior.

She could do nothing for him and so turned her attention instead on the boomerang, which Link had left on the ground in his rush to – her, Maeva supposed. The thought gave her discomfort, at least. That had been unnecessary, and that he thought he should save her was…irritating. Yes.

"Gale? Are you – all right?" The words felt foreign on her lips in the same sentence as the Fairy of Winds.

Ooccoo and Ooccoo Junior flew into the chamber, thanking Link for opening the doors. "Gracious! Look at this mess… Are you all right, dear?" she asked Gale, catching Maeva's kneeling figure beside the boomerang immediately. Mothers had an eye for such things.

"Gale!" Ooccoo Junior cried, landing on his mother's head. "You're okay, right?"

Gale stirred, a soft breeze blowing Maeva's hair just out of her face. "I'm all right," she answered, a small laugh in her high-pitched voice. "Just tired. I haven't had a rush like that since—well, in ages!"

"That anyone comes to harm – this shouldn't be the way," Maeva muttered so quietly that any companion not accustomed to her mumbling would think she spoke to herself. It was her responsibility, or Link's, very well, to take those blows.

"It's part of being an adventurer, right?" said Gale, her tone taking on the kind she used on Ooccoo Junior for a moment, before she paused and it became snoopy, almost scandalous. "Are you worried about me, Maeva?"

Ooccoo glanced at her, red eyes just as shocked. "Oh, how sweet of you! I didn't think—"

"Of course I wasn't worried," she huffed. Maeva hadn't asked out of concern – Gale had done the same for her, earlier, waking her when she had nearly drowned. She was only returning the care due of her. The others watched her doubtfully. How dare they – when had she ever lied in a manner that would bring harm upon them? Getting to her feet, she narrowed her eyes at them all before stalking off to the Fused Shadow.

It was a sad attempt at leaving them, since they followed suit immediately after. Midna floated beside the Fused Shadow, tracing its carvings before embracing it into herself. When she faced them again, she did so with a pleased smile. If Link hadn't known her, he would have thought it a wicked one. He liked to think he knew better.

"You know," she said, her eyes flickering to Link, Gale, Ooccoo and her son, "you've been very helpful so far. As a reward, I'll tell you an interesting story."

Gale and Ooccoo, though already chattering loudly, hushed and turned their eyes to the imp. Maeva wasn't certain how she should feel about it – that even in this form, she could command an audience.

"Zant."

"Zant?" Ooccoo Junior repeated, seeing Maeva's lip curl at the word.

"That's the name of the King of Darkness who cast this pall of shadows over your world. He's very strong. You," she said to Link with a bitter tone, "would be nothing to him in your current state."

"Comforting," Maeva muttered. Link thought much the same, but waited for her to continue.

Midna's flaming hair, still shaped into a fist, clenched at her tone. Maeva quickly lowered her gaze. "But Zant will never be my king!" she exclaimed, the resentment in her eyes – much more than what it seemed, the women in the party knew. As though she could read their minds, she bore her gaze into theirs, declaring, "I have nothing but scorn for his supposed strength.

"Not that your Zelda is much better," she added, glancing at Link again. "It still appalls me to think that this world of light is controlled by that princess. A carefree youth, a life of luxury – how does that teach duty?"

Maeva raised her eyes a little. "You speak too ill of her. She—"

"I wasn't finished," Midna sharply interjected. "I know I shouldn't begrudge her the circumstances of her life. She didn't choose it, after all, and I wouldn't wish harm upon her." She frowned at Maeva. "No, as long as I can get my hands on the Fused Shadows, I'll be just fine.

"Well, just one more left," she said, suddenly agreeably patronizing again. Waving her tiny hands, Midna moved the debris away, revealing a black portal with clover etchings that matched her skin. "Shall we? Eee hee hee! Collect the heart container and let's go!"

"Wow," Gale remarked. "I knew there were shadows, but I didn't know about this Zant. She really…sounded like she hated him."

"Zant stole much from—" Maeva cleared her throat. "From Midna. But that isn't your business."

"I wasn't asking," Gale huffed. "Really, it's hard to believe that you were just inquiring about my health earlier!"

Maeva shrugged. She glanced at Link, whose eyebrows were furrowed – at least until he noticed her. Smiling, he approached the heart container and beckoned the others. "Come on. We've aided Darbus."

The heart container was solid and liquid, too cold to the point of being hot all over again, and the party divided the spoils of their adventure among them as they reached into it together. It had been a tiring morning, however, and it was not enough to bring them out of the lull they had fallen into, especially after Midna's depressing story. As though he echoed their sentiments, a waking Darbus groaned, capturing their attention.

"Urgh…What am I doing here?" he asked, his voice the most gravelly of the Gorons. "Unngh, my head aches…" Closest to him, he saw Link first. "What happened, human?"

"The elders might explain it better, patriarch," Link answered. "We can accompany you back, if you wish."

Darbus seemed shocked that he would offer to help, but politely shook his head. "No, thank you." He glanced at the rest of the creatures in the ruined chamber and saw their ancient treasure strapped behind a human female's back. Dangoro would never have surrendered it willingly, and they seemed peaceful enough. "You must have much to do…though I… I cannot remember anything."

Nodding as if to reaffirm his sentiments, Darbus lumbered out of the chamber and dove into the water outside, taking no notice of the portal he had nearly stepped into. Moments later, the party disappeared into the cold darkness and climbed out into Kakariko Village, right before the light of Eldin's spring.

"What a relief!" said Ooccoo, landing in the water and paddling about with her cucco legs, enjoying the midday breeze on her hairless head. "Oh, to be outside again! Don't you agree, Junior, dear?"

"I thought…" Ooccoo Junior glanced at Maeva and Link. "What did you think, Maeva?"

The outside seemed too cool now, in Maeva's opinion. She wasn't going to run the risk of discovering that it was due to the same reason Midna's portals didn't give her shivers, however, and only said, "I thought—"

"Heroic Link," Eldin's voice interrupted. Maeva clamped her mouth shut. The light spirit unfurled itself to reveal its owl form. "North of here, across the plain and past the great stone bridge, in the lands guarded by the spirit Lanayru… You shall find the one you seek."

"Thank you," said Link, inclining his head slowly.

Eldin mimicked the gesture. For a split second, Maeva was certain the spirit was looking straight at her – she could feel its large eyes, filled with hope, examining her form and acknowledging her presence. As soon as it granted its gaze, however, it took it away, and returned its attention to Link. None of the light spirits had ever looked at her before. "Have a care."

Eldin returned to its rest. Maeva knew she didn't have to think of what it meant by its last statement. It had been referring to her. Try as she might, despite what she had told Link and the rest of the villagers of Kakariko, she couldn't convince Eldin that she was anything but one of the creatures that could have enslaved it had Zant not attempted to enslave her first.

"Well," said Link, turning to their companions fawning over Eldin's beauty, "I guess we know where we're going next."

"Link…!"

Ah. Maeva had wondered when his adoring fans would notice his return, but was pleasantly surprised to hear Colin's voice. The blond boy walked slowly out of Renado's hut, the rest of the children waiting behind him. Beth and Luda reached for but barely touched his elbows, ready to support him if ever he fell. What a difference from days ago, when the other Ordonian children had pushed past him and shoved him down to go to Link, and even Malo hadn't moved to aid him.

"We've aided the Goron tribe of Death Mountain," Link told them with a smile.

"That's wonderful…So…now you can save Ilia," said Colin. "Those monsters left me with the other kids, but they must have taken her somewhere else… Whenever I thought I couldn't go on, I would think of you and Ilia and hold on, Link. Remember what I told you before? When I grow up, I want to be just like you. You don't have to worry about me anymore, Link." The boy was passionate in his speech. "Go help Ilia!"

Link's square shoulders stiffened as he approached Colin. If only it were that easy. "We'll save her, Colin. I promise."

Renado, having followed the children out of his home, stepped forward, placing a hand on Luda's and Colin's shoulders. "Leave the children to me. I will watch over them – I swear it.

"In Hyrule, countless tales are told of the ancient hero…and your deeds bring them all to mind," said the shaman, looking not only to Link but to Maeva, Ooccoo, and her son as well. Gale was resting in Link's Pocket. "Stay the night in Kakariko; rest. And then…as I presume you will, go to the aid of those who need you."

Renado bowed to them. The children saw and emulated him, one by one.

"Oh," Ooccoo remarked, wiping a tear with her wings. "I'm so honored!"

Maeva inclined her head in reply, silent as pride rushed through her and filled her with…content. For the moment, at least. No one had bowed to her in what seemed like ages. That her actions should remind Renado of the ancient Hero of lore – well, they were Link's actions, too, she supposed. But she was a part of this. Part of her, somewhere, was also a hero.

…

A celebration was in order, and the Goron tribe of Death Mountain carried it out with great enthusiasm. Soon after the return of their muddled patriarch, the elders came out of their altars and declared that since they had turned their backs on their neighbors in Kakariko during their time of need, it was time to make it up to them. No sooner than Gor Amoto suggested it did Gor Liggs and Gor Ebizo – an even skinnier Goron with an even more hunched back, but whose zest was matched only by Gor Liggs – volunteer to assemble a group that would pull Kakariko back to its feet.

And feast, of course, Gor Liggs had said with a meaningful grin on his foam green lips.

Torch slugs were a delicacy in the Eldin Province, provided one could snuff them out long enough to hunt them. The Gorons brought crates of them, skinned and ready to be cooked, as well as material for Barnes to create more bombs that Gor Amoto had personally picked out, and rocks, of course. The Gorons loved rocks. (Ooccoo Junior still wondered why.)

When the Gorons arrived, apologies were made and soon, preparations for the feast that would take place in the evening. Darbus would have come, himself, but was still recovering and overseeing the vanquishing of the monsters that had too comfortably taken refuge in their territory. Aided by Barnes and Link, most of the Gorons thought of fortifications to prepare for future attacks, while Beth, Luda, Renado, Ooccoo and Gale joined together and cooked other dishes for the feast.

Gale and Ooccoo attempted to coerce her into joining them while Beth stressed the importance of knowing how to cook for one's future husband. She glanced at Colin, sitting with Epona and resting, when she said this; Luda followed her gaze and pursed her lips, clearly bothered. But Maeva was unaware of how to cook fine food; the only meals she had ever made for herself were animals she'd desperately hunted and roasted over a fire while searching for Zant and Midna. Those had all tasted gray – she hated meat and the necessity of it. Thankfully, Talo, Malo and two Goron boys who had begged to come to Kakariko stole her from the females and an amused Renado and whined until she taught them how to use a bow. (Malo was an exception; he was only there to watch, of course, furthering her theory of his being an old soul.)

Link joyfully gave his permission to use the bow from Fado, since the Hero's Bow was Maeva's for the time being – Gor Ebizo bade them keep it until they completed their endeavors. Maeva had refused to let them touch the ancient treasures, of course, and reluctantly surrendered the Bow and Quiver to Link for safekeeping in his Pocket, because Talo and the Goron boys were extremely rowdy and were not silenced by her slight glares. (She tried not to scare them too much. They were children, after all; but she would soon learn that children in the light realm were much less affected than a slightly older girl's exasperated expression than those from her realm.) They attempted to steal it from her until Link offered to keep them safe.

How had he even known she was having a difficult time with the children? He was all the way across the village surrounded by hulking Gorons. Sometimes he could be so infuriating.

Always. She meant always.

In any case, Ooccoo Junior tasked himself to retrieve their arrows, and while teaching them was an exercise that tested her patience, Maeva found herself enjoying the moments when the children managed to pierce the targets Malo and Junior set up around the village. They kept at this until the sun set, when they could no longer see without light. Maeva thanked the goddesses they couldn't, too, as she was eager to start dinner. Caring for children was certainly a task; that afternoon, she gained a newfound respect for the adults of Ordon Village, though reservedly for Hanch.

The celebration was planned for Renado's hut, but it was too snug with everyone inside. Upon Malo's suggestion, they settled for circling a great bonfire instead, which kept them warm in the chilly evening atmosphere. After Gor Liggs and Gor Ebizo gave enthusiastic speeches thanking the remaining villagers of Kakariko for accepting their friendship again and swearing to desert them in their time of need nevermore, the feast began.

Renado sat with the Gorons who'd aided with reparations, discussing plans to revive the hot spring and mining excursions. Although apprehensive at first, Barnes grew to enjoy the company of Gale and Ooccoo, who displayed an engaging interest in his bombs. Malo was talking business with Gor Ebizo and Gor Liggs, though Maeva supposed she shouldn't be surprised by his acumen concerning takeovers and profits and other things that were not to her interest.

Link sat beside her. It unnerved her, but if that was his intention then she certainly wouldn't let him see it! Maeva couldn't understand why he had to choose the space between her and Luda; there was a perfectly comfortable space between Renado and Malo, after all, or Barnes and the Goron children.

In any case, he wasn't given the chance to vex her. As soon as he sat down, Colin, Talo, Beth, Luda, Ooccoo Junior and the Goron children swarmed him and begged him to tell them how he defeated King Bulblin. (Despite their fear of his appearance at first, the other children eventually befriended Ooccoo Junior, and were extremely jealous that he was a part of Link's adventures.)

"Sure thing. But…" Link crossed his legs and placed his hands on his knees. Glancing back at her, he grinned. She knew she had spoken too soon. "I'm going to need some help telling it."

Talo squeezed himself beside Maeva and Gor Liggs, who looked up from his own conversation and scooted away. Beaming up at her, he exclaimed, "Oh, yeah! You were there, too, weren't you, Maeva?"

"I am—not adept at storytelling," Maeva shook her head. "He can tell a good story by himself, I'm sure."

"Maeva protected Epona when the bulblins were shooting flaming arrows at her," Link said anyway. Yes, Maeva remembered, after much yelling. "You should see her with a bow."

"We have, she taught us to use a bow and arrow earlier!" one of the Goron children said impatiently. "Start the story, please!"

Link chuckled and did so. Of course, Maeva thought, he would change details about how it had happened. Such as his yelling. And her failure to retaliate against the bulblin's attacks before his yelling. This was another act of his – besides the Mayor act. For a simple ranch hand, he certainly could lie better than she, once a power in political circles, could. But his way of telling the story was entertaining; she begrudged him that, and she almost liked hearing his Storyteller voice.

Almost. Maeva had sat back, switching her gaze between a gesticulating Link and his captivated audience. Her mind flickered to the memory that Zant had also been a wonderful storyteller. He paced everything just right, knew how to deliver so that the story built up until the audience held its breath at the climax. That was a part of him that enraptured Midna, she believed.

Midna. Maeva's eyes flickered to the bonfire, and then the shadows of the people surrounding it. They were still, dancing only to the rhythm of the flames when a stronger breeze blew. But Link's swayed to its own beat, and if anybody looked close enough as Bo had, they would see that hers did, too. It was something even Zant's god couldn't change.

Midna was trapped in Link's shadow for the time being, as exposing herself would only frighten the villagers and the Gorons. Maeva hadn't enjoyed any meal this way since she, Midna, Zant and the others had dined together that last night, before she followed him into his god's portal and it was all over. Today, she had earned the honor of the Gorons by aiding Darbus, though according to Gor Liggs, the patriarch had no recollection of it. Maeva told herself that she shouldn't deny herself the pleasure, but if Midna couldn't take part in this – despite having been the reason their party even came to Death Mountain – because of what she was, then neither should she.

For the rest of the night, Maeva sat back and kept to herself.

Before anybody knew it, the celebration was over and most of them were more than willing to turn in. Their great fire was smaller now, and many had surrendered to sleep. The Gorons carried their sleeping to the Inn while Renado and Gor Ebizo – who was much stronger than he looked – brought Talo and Barnes, respectively, to the former's hut.

Beth and Luda were collecting plates when Link, rising languidly, approached them. "Let me."

"Oh, no need, Link! We can take care of this," Beth replied, turning away so he couldn't reach for the plates. "Go ahead and rest."

"Beth is right. You have earned it," said Luda, her voice soft compared to Beth's naturally commanding tone.

Gor Liggs sauntered by with a sleeping baby in his arms. Although the elder was certain Malo was the wisest of his age, the boy still possessed the body of a child. "Maeva would help you!" he called out, inclining his head in the direction of a girl sprawled beside two oocca and a boomerang. "Won't you?"

Having barely been speaking with a still chattering Ooccoo and Gale, Maeva lifted her head from the ground to glare at whoever had mentioned her name. When she met eyes with the elder Goron, however, she straightened up. Standing with a well-concealed sigh, she asked, "Hmm?"

Gor Liggs grinned. "You…would not allow Beth and Luda to carry out all the work, would you?"

Maeva glanced at the two girls, watching her while carrying all the plates. Washing the dishes, he meant? She still didn't appreciate anybody volunteering her help, but she supposed they were younger and decided she rather liked the gratitude in their expressions when she gave a slight nod. "…Of course not." To the girls, she said, "You need rest. I…see the sleep in your eyes."

"N-No, we will still help," Luda argued, rushing towards the kitchen behind Renado's hut with Beth, Link and Maeva on their heels. Before they parted ways, Gor Liggs gave her a wink. Maeva would never understand him.

"Girls," Link called when the two placed the dishes beside tubs of water. His voice was almost commanding, like when they saved Colin, but much gentler. He was only awful to her. If Maeva felt somewhat foolish thinking such a thing, she hid it even from herself. "You're going to fall asleep washing dishes. Leave this to us."

"B-But…" Beth shook her head vigorously. "You're even more tired, Link! You saved the Goron tribe!"

Link smiled. "Your eyelids are drooping. Come on. Your beds are just around the front."

"Beth? Luda?" a boy's voice came from the door. Standing stiffly, the girls turned around, their fatigued attempts at smiles replaced with eager ones. Colin stepped into the kitchen and waved at Link and Maeva before saying, "Um…Renado was looking for you. We should probably go to sleep now…you too, Link and Maeva."

"Colin's right," said Beth.

"Yes," Luda agreed. "We can finish in the morning."

"It's all right," Link said, guiding them to the door by the shoulders. "Go on. We'll see you tomorrow before we leave."

"Well…okay. Good night," said Colin, smiling at them both and beckoning to Beth and Luda. The girls bade them the same before breathlessly, hastily following the boy.

When they were out of sight, Link glanced at Maeva. She had already begun at their task, scrubbing the dirt off the dish she was holding with vigor he hadn't expected, given that only moments ago, she was so exhausted as to be willing to roll her eyes at a Gor Liggs. He noticed there was always an intensity to everything she did; firing with a bow, of course, and searching for Tears of Light, but even with day-to-day activities she was ardent. She ate as though it would be her last meal, spoke with haste as though they would die at any moment, and walked with such purpose that he wondered what it could be.

Searching for Fused Shadows, obviously. But she and Midna still kept many a secret from their party. Why was Midna the only shadow being that dared stand up against Zant, and how did she enlist Maeva's help? How did Princess Zelda fit into their relationship? It was too late in the evening to think of these things; his temples hurt doing so, and nothing cleared his mind like manual labor. Sitting down and taking his own batch of dishes, he watched Maeva clean plates with zeal that made him grin. He wondered what would make her simmer down every once in a while, when they actually could.

"What?" Link returned to his senses and caught Maeva's frown. She scratched her forehead with the dry back of her wrist and asked, "Why are you looking at me?"

"I—I wasn't looking at you," he saved, giving her a smile that probably infuriated her. Link wasn't yet certain what made Maeva tick, exactly, but he knew that his frowning silenced her in a way that appeared to frighten her (and he didn't like that), while smiling seemed to irritate her in a way that only made him grin even more.

"Oh." Maeva narrowed her eyes back to her task. It surprised him so, whenever she spoke cordially, but she never disappointed – a few seconds later, she was glaring at him again. "But I saw your eyes. Don't think I didn't see you. Are you – so curious about my markings?"

Her markings? To be honest, Link had been extremely curious about them in the beginning, but the questions in his mind faded over the days they had spent traveling together. Zant had given her the markings, he understood now, and would pay for doing so. He had grown so accustomed to them, however, that he barely even noticed them when he looked at her. Link would tell her as much, but he figured she would manage to find a way to turn his words against him.

"What is that?" Maeva reached out when he didn't reply and slapped his left hand with the back of her own. His fingers buzzed at the touch, but Link was too bewildered at her sudden closeness to register it. "Are those blisters?"

"Uh—" The hero berated himself inwardly. He'd hidden them all afternoon successfully.

"From staving off the Gorons," Maeva grumbled.

Link wondered how she felt about them as he returned to his washing. "They should heal after a while."

"Tch," was Maeva's reply. If he wanted to keep it to himself again, it wasn't her business. Now she felt foolish for even asking! She didn't even know why she'd asked. The…proof that he wasn't invincible…that was it. She was only searching for that.

Link tried not to extend the smile he kept at the annoyed twitch of Maeva's eyebrows. "Anyway, I – just wanted to thank you for helping with the dishes, that's all."

Maeva blinked at his gratitude. She must not have received a lot of it, ever, because she was always shocked when anybody thanked her. He took enjoyment in her surprise, too. She seemed like the type who was hardly surprised, but she'd proven him wrong on many occasions.

"Don't – don't flatter yourself," she said when she recovered, huffing and pursing her lips like she always did. "I'm only…because…Gor Liggs offered my help. But then I suppose…"

Maeva supposed it wasn't the hero's way, since Link did it willingly, didn't he?

When had she come to see Link's way and the hero's way as one?

Frowning deeply, Maeva scrubbed the dishes even harder.

Link watched her oddly, wondering what could have upset her, but Maeva was prone to things like this. He still pondered on what she could have been thinking about inside the Goron Mines, standing so close to the magma. In any case, it was too soon to ask how she and Midna came to know each other. "Maeva, where did you learn to use a bow?"

Without looking up, she answered, "I was trained to fight and defend myself in my youth. Using such a weapon was a part of it. Something I excelled at; but we've already spoken of this."

Link cringed at how well she could kill a conversation.

Maeva glanced up at the silence. She'd expected him to ask another thing to break her concentration on their task (perhaps so that he might reach her number of dishes washed), but he didn't. It was curious. Her self-control was certainly slipping because – she didn't know why she wanted him to continue speaking, but – she was about to ask him where he learned to use a sword, being a ranch hand.

Without knowing it, however, Link spoke ahead. "I can teach you how to swim."

Maeva frowned at the interruption that was not quite an interruption that didn't actually quite aggravate her, but she knew it must have been the sleep. Any other day, she was certain, any other moment, it would have annoyed her. "Wh-What did you say? I—I don't need—it isn't—"

Link had almost forgotten Maeva's pride. She was almost like the Gorons, in that it clearly pained her to admit to needing his help. Actually, she was like the Goron tribe in many ways, but he wouldn't tell her that. Before she could stop sputtering and say something that would injure any other person, he added, "If you teach me how to use a bow and arrow."

An exchange. Maeva didn't want to owe Link anything, but – to bear the knowledge that he'd needed her at some point – it appealed to her. Smirking, she replied, "Very well."

He grinned. "Great!"

Maeva squinted her eyes. Infuriating…

Link only turned away, the smile widening on his mouth.

---

I HATE DUNGEONS. Let me just reiterate that. And I know there were no bulblins encountered in this chapter even if there were bulblins in the Goron Mines...honestly, I don't know how they would get past the Beamos statues. (I also hated those things.)

Anyway, I love this chapter! Not because of my writing (which was not at its best, I know, and unfortunately it doesn't get all that better in the next one, because I'm swamped with schoolwork, though I know I know it shouldn't be an excuse :(() but because if you look insaaaaanely closely, like really squint your eyes to the point of ruining them (probably), you could guess at a lot of the story's future events. Or secrets. Whatever. I don't know what to call them. Hence the title. (Get it? Because fate entails what'll happen in the future...? NEVER MIND I'M SO CORNY)

Bragging rights if you can guess correctly! Not that I'll tell you through the next chapter if you do; I'll probably just PM you that you got something HEHE. ANYWAY.

James Birdsong: Thank youuuu! Again :)

AnimeFreak2306: Gahhhh! Thank you! I'm not saying I'm better than dmc87 or anything since it's all a matter of opinion, like you said, but to be compared, especially given that I loved Twilight Child and Sparks is...WOW. Thank you. :D You're right, I don't like when everything is too depressing either! I try to lighten the mood sometimes, though I'm not always sure if the humor's in the right place :)) Thank you though!

PerrierLaMer: Hahaha! Gale is a fairy so I think she is just meant to be irrrrritating. I'm touched that you'd squee! :)) Do you know the game Tales of Vesperia? I have a favorite fic there that just makes me sooo happy when it updates. I was in the school library once when I checked my mail and saw the alert XD So yeah I know what you mean. Haha sorry for rambling. I also want a talking birdy hat :c (would be creepy if you went to the bathroom and forgot to take it off though... XD)

Taz1995: Bo had to figure it out haha! When going over the story for things to revise for this story, dmc87 and I agreed that someone from Ordon besides Rusl should have a brain XD I'm happy you like Maeva! And the Fado part, too. I just thought he shouldn't be stuck in his own little world at the ranch all the time, staring into space :))

JimmyDAN2j: YES! YEEEES YES YES he was implying just that :)) I was so hoping someone would notice hahaha! You're not being stupid at all. Thank youuu for saying that about Maeva heehee! Although I'm sure we've all gone through a situation where we don't like someone and gradually realize that they don't quite displease us as they used to (not that Link has stopped being a cause for Maeva's 'irritation' haha). Gosh the Iron Boots and the platforms were sooo awkwardddd to write! Although Maeva's not s'bad with Death Mountain, since she doesn't know how to feel about the place despite the heat. I really don't understand how Link could move around in the game with all that sweat :| By the way! Gale's having a personality/any speaking parts at all was dmc87's idea from the original story :) Phew! That was long :))

Thanks sooo much for reviewing, everyone! :D You are all sexier, as promised!

REVIEW. Again! Pretty pony for each review! : (Let me just say, I used to love My Little Pony SO. MUCH. Also your reviews seriously inspire me to write faster. I know that is totally douchey but it's the truth. If you didn't review I would still update, yes, but I would update very sadly. Yes.) See you again soon! Hopefully :'(