Disclaimer:

I do not own Ocarina of Time nor any part of the Zelda franchise.

All rights go to their respective owners.

This story is a work of fiction and corresponds to the story line, but does not follow it exactly.

This chapter is rated: T

A/N: The words in italics are Link's thoughts.


Chapter 7: Metamorphosis

"I cannot go back to yesterday because I was a different person then."

- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Long grasses and weeds rustled beneath the feet of our young hero as he bound towards Hyrule Castle in an indescribable whimsy. His young heart soared just as the Peahats overhead and a gentle breeze caressed his round face and dusted his cheeks with whispers of encouragement from the goddesses above. Navi flew alongside him, goading the boy towards his goal with excited shivers. This was it, the end of his journey. It wasn't easy, but he overcame. Perhaps now he would gain the favor of Princess Zelda and she would call on him more often. Everything would be as she promised: they would protect the sacred triforce from the clutches of evil...together.

As he approached Hyrule Castle, stormy clouds filled the sky and a drizzle of rain fell toward the earth. Link paused to look up at the gloomy sky. It was dark now, and the drizzle turned into a downpour.

"Hurry to the castle, Link!" Navi urged. "Princess Zelda is counting on us."

Link hurried his pace, but the ground was far slicker now. He lost his footing at the drawbridge of Hyrule Castle and only had time to lift his head before a stark white horse adorned with symbols of the royal family came galloping across the wooden planks and leapt over the young boy. Link sat up on his knees, now wet with flecks of grass and mud, and stared wordlessly in horror at the riders. Impa was bent forward, guarding the young princess with her lithe body. Zelda met Link's eyes, and for a brief moment he shared her terror and distress. She clutched a blue object in her hand so hard her dainty knuckles were white.

The rain poured harder still and bits of blonde hair stuck to Zelda's forehead beneath her headdress. She closed her eyes for a moment and moved her lips in a silent prayer before she threw the object in her hand towards Link. It flew over his head and landed in the moat surrounding the castle with hardly a ripple.

Link stood on his feet and started after her, but his chase was short lived. A demonic horse made of smoke and shadow with eyes as fiery as the forges of hell itself leapt to the end of the drawbridge before its rider halted it. It exhaled thin wisps of smoke from its nostrils and tossed its head back. Its rider was a beefy man of impressive stature. He gripped the reins of his steed tightly and cried out in frustration. His burnt orange hair was slicked down by the hair and his eyes-oh Din, his eyes-were molten gold. He turned his attention to Link and scowled, revealing sharp incisors.

"Damn it all! I've lost them. Boy, you've seen a white horse come through here yes? Which direction did it go?"

Link felt his fingers tremble as the man with the voice of thunder spoke, but he reached for his sword and shield. He pointed his Kokiri sword at the giant, and flinched whenever he let out a booming laugh.

"Pitiful boy, you wish to protect them? I admire your bravery, but I have no time to play childish games. Stand aside or tell me where they escaped."

Link twisted his heels into the ground and sent the Gerudo king a defiant snarl.

"So this is how it is going to be, foolish child?" Ganondorf tilted his chin back and smirked in obvious, cynical amusement. He lifted his hand palm-side out, and a bundle of dark energy started to form. Ganondorf released the energy ball towards Link with a twitch of his fingers. A wave of searing heat accompanied the dark magic, but the energy ball was far more painful. Link was knocked back a few feet flat onto his back, the air was no longer in his lungs. His whole body suddenly ached and cried in pain. Link struggled back onto his feet and panted as he steadied himself. The Gerudo king (all three of them, thanks to Link's dizzy vision) laughed cruelly and tossed his head back.

"You're a fool, child. You're nothing compared to me and my endless power."

Ganondorf kicked his heels into the flanks of his demonic steed, and the horse reared back with a sharp whinny before it tore across Hyrule field in a gallop.

"Link, are you alright?" Navi asked in concern as she circled the boy. Link slowly nodded his head, glad that the world was coming back into focus.

"That dark man...his power is unimaginable." Navi shuddered. "You're brave, Link, but you're no match against him. Check in the moat for whatever Princess Zelda threw at you."

Link approached the moat and dove into the water. He snagged the blue item Zelda had tossed and examined it on the bank of the moat. It was an ocarina, just like the one Saria gave him, but this one felt...different. Link could tell by simply holding it that it was powerful.

A blood curdling shriek rang from within the castle walls and Link and Navi both tensed.

"We should go inside and help maintain order, Link." Navi said urgently. "Hurry, it must be chaos inside!"

Our young hero gathered himself before he rushed inside the tall ivory walls surrounding Hyrule Castle Town.


Chaos was an understatement compared to the hell of whatever was happening inside the peaceful marketplace. Scattered soldiers stood here and there either frantically searching for...something, or calming the spooked townsfolk. An earthly fire had broken out and nearly all the shops were engulfed in tongues of cian flame licking up towards the gloomy above. The air was oxygen deprived and intense with heat from the fire and from scrambling, panicked bodies. Townfolk swarmed the gate out to Hyrule field, but packing in the bodies so tight was their own demise. All the people could do was writhe and scream in a panic as the flames slowly, deliberately climbed higher behind them. Link watched them in a mix of horror and shock.

He was tossed this way and that in the sea of sweaty bodies. Eventually he escaped the mob into a back alley. He could still hear the screams of those unlucky enough to be trapped within the walls resonating in his ears.

"Look! A soldier!" Navi flew towards a crumpled body curled up against the side of a building. He looked at Link through the small slit in his helmet, and Link could plainly see the pain written on his face. The soldier clutched his bloody abdomen with both hands in a feeble attempt to stop a wound that would most definitely kill him. His uniform was smeared with soot and browned around the edges of his wound, suggesting he'd been here for quite some time.

What is going on here?!

The soldier parted his lips with a great effort and spoke in a voice little more than a murmur.

"You...you're the boy Pr-Princess Zelda spoke of." He gasped as a sharp pain overtook him and started to cough and wheeze; a thin trail of blood began to ooze past his lips on the side of his mouth. "Go to the Temple of Time, boy, go!"

The soldier started to cough harder, as if his lungs might burst from the effort. Link knelt down and pried the soldier's hands off his wound. It was deep with traces of light blue entrails poking out of the laceration-stab wound, most likely from a sword. The Kokiri sword started to weigh down on Link's spine when he realized the weight a sword truly carried.

The soldier wheezed heavily, then slumped back against the building with a defeated, dull look in his eyes. Link simply stared at the lifeless man, glued to his spot beside him.

What have I witnessed…?

Link scrambled and groped for things to pull himself up with, but only grasped at air. He skidded backwards on his rear until his back touched the opposite building. The heat was unbearable now; he knew the fire had spread to the back alleyways as well.

Navi fluttered over the lifeless soldier then came back to Link's side.

"He's no longer moving…"

Of course he isn't, you ignorant fairy! The man is dead!

Link wanted to lash out at his companion in anger and sorrow. He wasn't sure why his heart was grieving, he didn't even know this soldier's name, but the churning in his stomach was undeniable. Link had just witnessed the death of another Hylian, not a monster or evil beast, but an innocent man doing nothing more than protecting the people around him.

Tears clung to his thick eyelashes in sudden and overpowering grief. Link couldn't look upon the soldier's face any longer and ran as fast as his legs could carry him towards the Temple of Time.


The temple courtyard was oddly quiet, which was far more terrifying than the dying cries of agony in the market place. The temple was a beautiful building erected in ancient times as the resting place of the holy triforce. It was built on hallowed grounds-grounds the goddesses walked upon themselves-with tall spires and columns. Twin ponds gathered on either side of the building with bubbly, fresh water. Sweet scented flowers were scattered along the courtyard.

Link's boots echoed throughout the silent temple as he padded across the gleaming marble floors. A raised portion of the floor was engraved with the holy triforce, and beyond that was a stone alter with three empty slots carved within it. The words engraved below the slots read:

Ye who owns three Spiritual Stones

Stand with the Ocarina of Time

And play the Song of Time

Navi seemed to ponder the words' meaning, but there was no time for such silly things. Link gripped the pale blue ocarina that Princess Zelda had entrusted with him and placed the three spiritual stones he gathered on his journey into the slots. He stood back and held the instrument to his lips as his eyes scanned the melody carved into the altar.

This is what Princess Zelda had in mind when she gave me my quest. I will protect Hyrule in any way I can, even if I die in the process. This is for you, dear princess.

He started to play a simple, haunting tune on the ocarina. It filled the dead walls of the temple with new life and echoed hollowly off the stone.

Link lowered the ocarina and glanced around for any changes, when suddenly the ground started to shake and an unearthly blue light filled the temple.

"What did you do, you idiot?!" Navi barked at the boy.

When the light died away a hidden portion of the temple was revealed. Link approached a pedestal with beams of soft sunlight shining down onto a sword with a curved, blue hilt. It was a impressive blade that radiated power, much like the blue ocarina did whenever Link picked it up.

Here lyeth the blade of Evil's bane

The Master Sword

"That's it, Link!" Navi suddenly inhaled. "This is the way to stop that evil man. Draw the sword, Link."

Link licked his parched lips and swallowed before he stepped up to the pedestal. The sword looked as big as he was tall. He stood with his feet spread on either side of the blade and grabbed the hilt with both hands. He gave the sword a sharp tug, and suddenly reality seemed to unravel around him and a white, heavenly light blinded him. Link scarcely heard the panicked cries of his fairy as his eyelids fell and he drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep-almost as though he'd been cursed.

"Link! Link!" The fairy screamed and hastily buzzed around the pedestal searching for the boy's body, which had disappeared in a flash of white and crackle of thunder. "Link, where did you go! Stupid boy, don't leave me here all alone! Link!"

She quieted down into muffled sobs.

"Oh Link, don't die. You're the hero of destiny, I'm certain...you can't-"

Navi floated half-heartedly down towards the marble floor and sobbed uncontrollably.


I'm not certain where I am or if I still "exist" in the proper sense of the word, but I do know that I am still here on some level.

My thoughts...they flow in and out of focus easily like the Zora's River. I suppose I am still alive, since I have my conscious, but perhaps I am dead-I do not truly know the answer.

Time is an illusion here. There is no sun nor moon to mark the transition of day into night. In fact, there exists no light at all.

The darkness here...it is a living creature. It greedily devours any rays of hope or light that enter wherever I am.

When is the last time I've seen my face or moved my body? It's a good question. I feel detached from my body, in a sense, but I still have the vague impression that my heart his still beating and my lungs are drawing calm, peaceful breaths...somewhere.

There is no movement here, but what would be the point? I'm terrified the inky murk will swallow whatever is left of me eventually, and then what will happen?

Will I die? Am I already dead? Will I finally see light if I succomb to the viscious night?

No sound is present here either, not even the noise of my beating heart nor breath.

Does my heart still beat? I can feel it...but it is hard, like brushing your fingers past an object without actually touching it.

Wait, something is different now.

What is it? What is it?

An elderly man stood over the unconscious form of a young man clad in green. He, himself, was dressed in thick, heavy robes and had a bushy white moustache and cold eyes.

"Awaken young hero, for it is time."

Link snapped his eyes open with a gasp and sat up clumsily, twisting and turning his head in fear.

"Fear not young Link, there is no danger here." The man insisted. "I am Rauru, the sage of light. You've been inside your head for seven long years, hero, but now it is time for you to wake. Your destiny is calling."

Link stared at the man with wide, disbelieving eyes.

What is this old fool talking about? Seven years? Where am I?

"If you do not believe my words, Link, take a look at your body and you will see."

Link glanced down and first noticed his hands. They were much larger than they should have been with strong, nimble fingers to replace his childish ones. His legs were much longer as well and toned with muscle mass, as were his arms. Link pulled off his clothes stitch by stitch and stared at his own body. He was no longer a skinny child, but rather a lithe, muscular man. He ran his fingers back through his thick, shaggy hair and turned to Rauru silently. The older man saw that his young champion was willing to listen now.

"When you first attempted to draw the Master Sword, Link, you were too young to take up your destiny and was trapped within the Spiritual Realm, where you are now. Now you are old enough to wield the sword of Evil's bane. This is your destiny, Link, to destroy the tyrannical King of the Gerudo and restore Hyrule to a state of peace. Are you willing to accept such a heavy burden?"

Link swallowed heavily and swept his thick lashes down over his eyes. This was certainly a lot to take in, but in his heart he knew Rauru was right. How else would be have ended up in a realm as mysterious as this one?

He nodded his head in determination.

"Good, lad." Rauru let the ghost of a smile shadow his lips. "There are six sages you must awaken across the land of Hyrule, Link, much like I have woken you. Take this, for you will need its aid and power."

Rauru handed Link a golden medallion about the size of his palm. It radiated heavenly heat from within, and he feared it would burn his skin if he held it too long.

"Be prepared, Link. Hyrule is not as you once recalled it to be. Monsters overtook the lush land when Ganondorf seized power and everything has turned to ruin. I will send you to the mortal realm once more-draw your weapon from the pedestal, hero."

Another wave of blinding white light swallowed the young man, and he let out a strangled-yet surprised cry. As the light died away, Link found himself in the very, very familiar area. This was the secret chamber in...the Temple of Time? Sure enough, nothing about the chamber seemed to change nor age. There were dried mud stains on the otherwise spotless marble floors, but otherwise nothing else tainted the beautiful room draped in silver and white. There were two sets of footprints-one belonging to a child and the other obviously to a man, but Link knew the footprints couldn't have been his; he's only just now awoken in his adult body!

Regardless, Link stepped towards the sword plunged deep into the pedestal of stone. He wrapped his fingers around the dyed leather hilt of the sword when a cold breeze bit at the back of his neck. He only just realized his companion, Navi, was no where to be found. Link let go of the sword and looked around the temple in a desperate rush for her, though it proved to be useless. Seven years had passed; Navi was gone.

Link was silent as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Here, he truly was alone.

Navi might not have been the most upbeat and cheerful of partners, nor the most pleasant to be around, but Link knew the fairy cared for him on some level. She stayed by his side through thick and thin: through slaying evil beings to exploring the land of Hyrule at his side...Navi was always there to fuss at him; she was always there to care.

Not anymore. The temple stood ageless and silent as always, spare the little quiet sobs Link emitted as he buried his face into his tunic.

Alone...it was a terrifying thought, one that haunted the boy since his days amongst the Kokiri. He dwelled among them, but he was not one of them, he was alone. Navi was like the most precious of gifts to him. He could finally fit into the Kokiri! He could finally find a place to belong within them, but alas, fate is a cruel thing. Navi gave Link strength he didn't know he possessed on his own. She was something consistent in his newly upturned life, and Link was ever so grateful to the nagging fairy.

What would Navi say if she were here right now? Probably something along the lines of, "What are you waiting for, lazy boy?! You've been given your task, have you not?"

Link felt his bottom lip quiver in absolute despair.

Everything is torn apart at the seams. How am I expected to complete this laborious mission all on my own? I am only one man, and barely a man at that.

Link buried his face into his knees as he sat in front of the Master Sword and emptied his woes. Part of him wanted to fall back asleep and drift into that world of nothingness once more; he'd never asked to become the hero who saved this kingdom, all he wanted was for a pretty girl to favor him. He'd got himself into one hell of a mess over a pair of big blue eyes.


"No, young hero, do not weep."

A mysterious voice echoed throughout the temple. Link raised his head but saw no one.

"Who are thee?" Link asked, blinking the tears from his eyes. "Show thy self."

From seemingly nowhere, a figure appeared before Link. They were dressed in tight linens that showed the defined muscles in their arms and legs, and had their head wrapped with strips of bandages-though they didn't appear to be wounded. They bore the symbol of the Sheikah on the front of their clothing, and narrowed their ruby eyes. It wasn't an evil stare, but it was certainly mesmerizing. Link found himself trapped by that gaze.

The stranger stepped closer to Link and clenched their fists impatiently. Link stood to his full height, relieved that he stood slightly taller.

"Who are thee?" Link asked again, this time with a dangerous edge to his deep, scratchy voice.

"I am called Sheik. I am the survivor of the Sheikah." The stranger replied cooly. "I am here to assist you on your journey, hero, to point you in the right direction, per say."

Link didn't reply to him, still giving him a suspicious stare.

""I've been waiting for you, Hero of Time... When evil rules all, an awakening voice from the Sacred Realm will call those destined to be Sages, who dwell in the five temples.

One in a deep forest...

One on a high mountain...

One under a vast lake...

One within the house of the dead...

One inside a goddess of the sand...

Together with the Hero of Time, the awakened ones will bind the evil and return the light of peace to the world. Do you understand, Link? You must wake the sage of the forest first. Go to Kakariko Village, Link, for you must first gain equipment to enter the Forest Temple."

Link approached the other male, but Sheik took a step backwards for each of Link's advancements. He then hurled down a deku nut and disappeared with the bright pop of light.

Link rubbed his eyes, but he wasn't too badly stunned. He could still hear Sheik whispering Kakariko Village in the back of his head and shivered. Was he...daresay, excited?

But what could he possibly be excited about? The journey ahead was guaranteed to be a struggle, but he found that he didn't really mind. A new, unknown vigor spilled into his bloodstream, and Link reached for the sword trapped within the stone. He gave it a mighty tug and raised it over his head in triumph as a wave of power spread towards the temple walls.

Had he really never noticed the new sheath for his sword nor that his Hylian shield fit his body at last? Link tucked away the Master Sword into the sheath and hurried outside the temple.


The courtyard was relatively unchanged, she he hurried down the stone steps towards Hyrule Castle Town.

The sight he was greeted with was beyond horrible. Every single building that once stood now sat in pitiful piles of rubble and ash. The sky was dreary overhead, and Link could plainly see that the shining walls of Hyrule castle had been torn down and replaced by Ganondorf's own twisted version. Everywhere was ugly and felt dead; Link was sad to see the lively town like this. The absolute worst part though were the Re-Deads shuffling around. All of them had their masked faces trained on the ground and were groaning in misery.

Link got a sick feeling in his stomach when he saw the Re-Deads and couldn't help but to wonder which towns person had been turned into one of the dry, husks after death…

He moved carefully among the Re-Dead, very much aware of what they were capable of (his memory of the graveyard made shivers travel up his spine). Link made one wrong move and caught the attention of one, who swiveled its head so fast Link thought it might snap off. The zombie opened its mouth and emitted that blood-curdling screech that Link had hoped to avoid. The others turned their attention to the green-clad Hylian with shrieks of their own.

Oh shit! Oh shit!

They started to lumber towards him in their slow, decisive way. Link drew his blade and started to weave through them-past the grabbing hands and moaning lips. One leapt at him with surprising agility and latched onto his ankle with a hiss. Link turned white as a sheet and lopped off the creature's hand without a second thought. The good news was that the Re-Dead was far behind him now, the bad news was that he still had a severed hand gripping his booted ankle.

Full of disgust, Link paused by the broken drawbridge to remove the sinewy, bony hand from his boot with the end of his sword. He gazed at Hyrule Field before him. Its lush grasses were dead and crunchy beneath his boots, and the sky was permanently dark and dreary-like a storm may roll in at any moment. He knew he should go to Kakariko Village like he was told, but Link saw the familiar outline of a structure in the distance and felt his heart claw into his throat. He took off full sprint towards what he remembered as Lon Lon Ranch.


A/N:

Alright, so Link has finally reached the Temple of Time and the fabled Master Sword and was given his new objective! What will he find at Lon Lon Ranch now that seven long years have passed?

Alright, we're getting to the meat of the story now. Link's finally a big boy! Submit your pairing ideas in the reviews, and the most popular ones will receive a special lemon later on. ( O/O)

So far the pairings I plan on doing lemons for are:

Malon, Ruto, Zelda, Nabooru, and Dark.

Only fluff for Saria, sorry! I can't handle shouta! (^w^)"

Regardless, I love getting feedback from you guys! Leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter or drop off a few helpful suggestions. It makes the author break into little happy dances.