After half an hour of walking, the path came to an abrupt end. The ground stopped, and all Link saw beyond it was the sky. He set his bag down and knelt by the edge of the cliff. Twenty feet below, the path resumed in the form of a narrow ledge, twisting and turning down the mountain. Despite his experience in the sky, the sight made Link dizzy.
His bracelet chimed. Navi emerged to fly around Link's head. "Look! Link, the path drops away, here! Be careful—if you fall, you could get really hurt! And that would be bad, because you're already pretty hurt."
Link closed his eyes and sighed, muttering a quiet prayer for patience. "Thank you for that helpful insight, Navi. I never would have figured that out on my own. Now, please, make yourself useful and see if you can't find some other way down the mountain. I can't exactly climb this with a busted arm, and if I can't get down, your Princess Zelda's out another messenger."
Navi flitted around in dizzying circles, apparently showing her concern through motion. She flew one way, then the other, then high overhead, before returning to bob around Link's face. "I don't see anything, Link! I think this is the only way… But you can do it! Zelda chose you as her hero, and that means—"
"That doesn't mean anything if I die here because my ship went down and my bone snapped. Right now, your hero talk is the opposite of helpful. I just want to know how to survive this, Navi. Will you stop fluttering around and help me?"
Navi stopped, hovering suddenly in midair. Her aura dimmed a bit, and she drifted downwards. "I'm sorry, Link. I know how important this is, but I don't—wait! Yes!" She perked up, jolting back into a blur of motion. "I have an idea! I'll call the princess! She'll know what to do!"
"Wait—what? No! Leave Zelda out of this— You don't need to—"
"It's about time you reported back anyway! Give me a moment, and I'll make the connection!"
Before Link could protest further, Navi froze, the Gossip Stone at his wrist lit up and started sparking, and the air filed with a strange, low hum. Link's face went pale, and he had to stop himself from cursing as Princess Zelda's voice emanated from his wrist, soft and clear as though she were standing next to him.
"Link? Navi? Have you made it to Death Mountain? What's the situation with the Gorons?" The princess sounded oddly tense, almost breathless. Link cleared his throat awkwardly and brought the Gossip Stone to his mouth, shooting Navi a glare.
"Uh… Well, your Highness, we've hit some trouble. Everything's okay, though—no one's hurt—and I'm on my way to meet with the Gorons as we speak."
"Is that so, Link? I'm glad to hear that everything is going so well with you. When do you expect to begin the negotiations?"
Link coughed quietly. "I plan to open the discussion as soon as I reach the mountain, Highness."
"You mean you've yet to reach Death Mountain, Link?" Zelda's voice carried enough dismay to make Link flinch.
"Uh… yeah. I guess that is what I mean. A storm brought us down not too far off, so I'm making the rest of the journey on foot."
"I see… Is that why you called, Link?"
"Something like that… You see, Highness, uh… Well, there's this wall I gotta climb down if I wanna get any farther, and as it happens, I busted my shoulder when we crashed. Navi was thinking maybe you could offer some wisdom on how to get past. Do you know of any alternate paths, or..?" Link trailed off, uncertain of how to continue. It was weird enough talking to a beautiful princess, and even weirder talking to a beautiful princess who wasn't there.
After a few moments of silence, Zelda spoke again. "I'm going to increase the connection between my stone and yours, Link. Navi will act as a conduit, and I'll be able to see what she sees. I do not know of any alternate paths, however I may yet find some way in which to assist you."
Before Link could comment, the hum of magic grew louder, and Navi began to sparkle. Zelda spoke again.
"Alright, Link, I see you, now. I don't have long, but I'll help as best I can."
Link nodded uncomfortably, and Zelda began giving orders to Navi. The fairy swooped around in low, wide circles at the princess' direction, stopping occasionally to examine the rock face. Link waited patiently, until at last Navi returned and Zelda addressed him again.
"Link, I believe I may have found a way. However… you're going to have to trust me. There's—"
Before Zelda could finish her thought, she was cut off by an odd tapping noise. Link heard Zelda suppress a sigh, and her voice grew formal and muted, as if she was suddenly farther away. "Enter."
A door creaked, and a new voice spoke up—one even more muted than Zelda's had become. The quiet, respectful murmur brought the word 'servant' to Link's mind.
"Highness, sorry to bother you so soon after your last meeting, but the Governor of Lanayru is here early, and he wishes to speak with you—immediately, he says."
Though Link could not see Zelda, he could imagine the look on her face—the dignity, the power, and the tragic, tired serenity that always lurked on the edge of her bearing. "Thank you, Jenn. Please tell him that I understand the urgency of the drought, and shall be with him shortly to discuss the solution. The Head of the Trade Union should still be in the Blue Room—you may direct the Governor there, and ensure that both men are served refreshments while they await my return."
Link got the impression of a servant being dismissed and a door being closed, then Zelda addressed him again. "I offer my sincerest apologies, Link, but I fear I don't have much time to explain. Urgent matters await my attention, so you must do as I say without question. Are you prepared to obey, Link?"
Link nodded hesitantly. "Yes, Princess, I don't see myself as having much choice, at this point."
"Retrieve your pack. Turn left, and walk along the cliff's edge until I tell you to stop."
Feeling foolish, Link did as Zelda commanded.
"Stop! You're a half-pace too far, now. Go back—there—yes. Perfect. Now, I need you to turn back toward the edge and take one step forwards."
Link turned, but his feet remained anchored in place. His toes were even with the sharp drop, and the only ground he saw before him was roughly two hundred feet below the point at which he stood. The stunted, scraggly trees that clung to the rock face would never be enough to break his fall. Link swallowed hard, his heart pounding.
"Uh… Princess? I don't know if you realize this, but that'll kill me. It's not that I'm scared of heights—I'm an airshipman, I'm fine with heights—but jumping from them still seems like suicide to me."
Zelda's voice was clear, authoritative, and without humor. "Link, you swore to obey without question. I do not intend to lead you to your death, and I do not intend to throw away our bargain. Take one step forward. Though you cannot see it, there is an outcropping of stone connected to a cave. It will catch your fall, and you will be fine."
Link looked down carefully, considering his options. The ground seemed very, very far away, and the rock face seemed devoid of any outcroppings, caves, or reprieves of any sort. A fall would kill him.
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure."
"And—if this doesn't pan out—you'll send people for Malon, won't you? You can't let her die up here just because—"
"Your concern is admirable, but discipline would be more appreciated, Link. Your friend will be taken care of if you do your duty. Please, time is wearing short." Zelda's voice was uncharacteristically tense. Was she annoyed, or… worried? Link didn't dare guess. A knocking at the Princess' door stopped his train of thought from wandering further.
The servant's voice spoke up again, muted and urgently demure. "Your Highness, the Head of the Trade Union and the Governor of Lanayru are arguing, and it's getting rather… intense. They look as though they're about to come to blows. If you'd be pleased to hurry—"
"Yes, Jenn, thank you. I anticipated as such, and the situation is well in hand. I shall be down to manage it in a moment. Please, go speak with the steward and make sure the preparations have been made for my meeting with the Duke later today." Zelda's voice was calm and carefully controlled.
The servant left. Link heaved a deep sigh and cast his eyes skyward. "Nayru forgive me and Farore protect me—this is idiotic. I hope you're happy, Princess."
Link closed his eyes, took one short step forward, and fell.
Agony. Agony was all Link knew. He felt broken—splattered, even—across the hard stone floor. His shoulder was on fire, his ribs were on fire—Link felt as though he were made of fire. Gradually, as the shimmering darkness faded from his vision, Link became aware of a bright blue sun hanging a few inches above his head.
The sun jingled. Link swore. At least, he tried to swear. The noise that exited his mouth was more of a groan.
"Link! Oh, Link! You're okay! You're alive! This is great! How do you feel?"
Link groaned again. It seemed like a good summary.
"Zelda left when you were asleep—she told me to wish you luck and say that the Goddesses—"
Link groaned a third time to shut Navi up. When his head had cleared and the flaming ache in his every muscle had died down, Link forced himself upright and fumbled for the Red Potion. Navi bobbed around his head, babbling some nonsense about cave systems and abandoned mines, but he ignored her. He was too busy fumbling with the bottle's stopper to listen.
After too long a moment, Link got the bottle open and took a sip. The potion tasted foul, but the relief it brought was sweet. The throbbing in Link's shoulder faded to a dull ache, and the pain from his fresh bruises disappeared almost entirely. He sighed, glad to be alive, then turned to address Navi.
"I'm insane."
Navi stopped her rambling mid-tangent. "What? Link, what are you—?"
"I'm insane. That's the only explanation—the princess says jump off a cliff, so I go and throw myself off a cliff. Sane people don't do that, so obviously I've gone and snapped. Can I get some sort of worker's compensation for this? I deserve extra pay."
Navi hovered, momentarily speechless. "You… Stop being ridiculous, Link! You're not crazy—you did exactly what you needed to do! Princess Zelda is very wise, and it's important that you trust her! You know she's going to do what's best for you and for all of Hyrule Kingdom—no matter what."
"Yeah, yeah—okay, fairy, I get it. Zelda is all-knowing, all-powerful and all-important. I didn't ask for a lecture. This has already been a long day, and it's only gonna get longer. Now—let's try and focus here. What is this—a cave? A tunnel? Where are we?"
"I told you to listen before, Link! These mountains are riddled with old Goron mines! Princess Zelda said that almost every cave on this peak likely connects to a mine—and all the mines lead further down the mountain! All we need to do is keep from getting lost!"
"Right. Keep from getting lost. Yeah. Okay. Do we have a lantern? No. Malon has the lantern. Do we have a map? No. No we don't. We don't have anything, Navi."
"The princess said—"
"Your princess is miles away! She didn't give me any maps, she didn't give me any supplies, she hardly gave me any advice—she just went ahead and sent me on this suicide mission with nothing but a bracelet I can't take off and a little glowing fluffball who won't shut up! Now I'm hurt and Epona's wrecked, and—" Link cut himself off, suddenly aware that he had been shouting. Navi's wings drooped, and she gave a tiny, dejected chime.
Link ran his hand down his face and sighed. "Look… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. You gotta understand that I'm hurt, I'm worried, and I didn't sign up for any of this. I just want to get this done and go home while I'm still in one piece, and vague hints from our grand and glorious monarch don't do me much good. If you really want to help me, Navi, you'll go fly down this tunnel and tell me what you see. It's dark, and I can't navigate on my own. I didn't mean what I said, and I… I need your help if we're to get through this."
Navi was silent for an uncomfortably long moment. Finally, she bobbed in the air. "We can do this if we work together, Link. I'll find you a safe path. Don't worry." With that, she flew off, trailing glitter and illuminating the dark tunnel walls as she went.
Link watched her light disappear around the sharp corner. He sighed again, forcing himself to relax. None of this was Navi's fault, the fairy was simply following orders, same as him. Zelda was the one to blame, if anyone was to take the blame. She was the one giving the orders. She was the one managing the kingdom, and she the was the one with whom the Gerudo were at war. She was also the one with those sad blue eyes that wouldn't get out of his head, and that soft voice that echoed in his ears long after the world fell silent.
To his annoyance, Link found that he couldn't stay mad. Maybe Saria's potion had numbed his anger along with his aching shoulder and bruised skin. Link gave the bottle a distasteful glance. Effective as the stuff was, Saria could have tried to make it taste better.
Hardly two minutes later, Navi returned, zipping back up the hallway as quickly as her wings could carry her. Link glanced up.
"Back already?"
"Uh-huh! There wasn't much to see. It's just a long straight hallway—no holes or side passages or anything! Not until the turn at the end—and then out beyond that corner, it's just a long winding path down to the exit! Perfectly safe!"
Link stood, leaning on the wall for support. "I hope you're right, fairy. I can only take so much more battering before I break. If things keep going the way they've been, your princess is going to have to send me home in a bucket."
"Don't be so morbid, Link! Let's go! I believe in you!"
"Uh-huh. Sure." Link stretched and shook himself, trying to keep alert through the haze of potion-numbed pain. Then, following Navi, he turned the corner and entered the mountain.
The tunnel was dark. Navi's pale aura did little to illuminate it. Though Link knew she was doing her best, the way she bobbed around made it impossible for him to get more than a fleeting impression of his surroundings. One moment her glow reflected off the rough stone ceiling, the next, she shone against some sort of derelict mining track, and then a second later, she was back by Link's feet, casting her light down the steeply sloping path.
"Navi, can you stop moving around so much? You're making me dizzy."
Navi paused. "I'm sorry, Link. I'm trying to spread the light as much as I can, but I'm not actually a lantern, so I'm not very good at it."
Link kept his sarcasm in check and forced himself to be as nice as possible. "I know, Navi, and I appreciate what you're trying to do—I'm just already dizzy from all that's happened today, so I'd be grateful if you slowed it down a bit. Can you do that for me?"
Navi bobbed once, and slowed her ceaseless motion. It didn't help much. The tunnel remained dark, and Link remained dizzy. He closed his eyes for a moment and steadied himself against the wall. The stone crumbled beneath his hands to a chorus of high pitched squeaks.
Hundreds of small, reflective yellow dots appeared in the darkness. Link froze. Navi dimmed her aura and flew next to Link's ear.
"Don't move," she whispered, "that's a Keese nest—you've woken them up, but if we're quiet, maybe they'll go back to sleep. If you're very careful, you can back away slowly, and—"
Link took one tiny step backwards. One of the Keese spread its wings and shrieked.
"Link! Run! Follow me!" Navi shouted, flying down the hallway. Link turned and dashed. Behind him, a storm of black erupted from the hole in the wall. Bats the size of Link's head spewed from the stone, swarming erratically and battering Link with their leathery wings. They were practically invisible in the darkness—and the swarm was thick enough to nearly extinguish Navi's light.
Link squinted past the whirlwind of wings, covering his head with his one good arm. He could just make out Navi's light fading farther up the tunnel—the Keese seemed to be ignoring her to focus on him.
Suddenly, Link's foot caught on something protruding from the floor and he fell. Whatever it was rolled forward and began hissing faintly. Link's eye caught a dim orange glow sparking at one end of what appeared to be an odd, dark blue sphere.
Bomb flower.
Link scrambled to his feet and ran.
Behind him, the bomb flower exploded in a plume of acrid smoke, shaking the ground and taking several of the Keese with it. The heat of the blast singed the back of Link's neck, but he kept running. A strange rumble filled the air.
"Navi! What's going on? I can't look back—I need your help!"
Navi halted her headlong flight, zooming back to Link's aid. She zipped behind him as he ran forward. There was an earsplitting crash. She came back into sight.
"Run faster, Link! The explosion—it dislodged a huge boulder that's rolling this way! If you don't clear the cave, you'll be crushed flat!"
Link didn't waste his breath on a reply. He poured all his energy into running faster.
Navi guided Link around the corner. The rumbling behind him grew steadily louder. Keese screamed as they were smashed against the stone. The ground quaked, shuddering as the boulder hit the corner and changed its course.
"Watch out! The path gets narrower up ahead!" Navi cried, skimming close to the ground to light the way. Just as she said, the path narrowed, twisting down with a wall on one side and a sheer drop down to unknowable darkness on the other. It was too long—too winding. Link heard the ground crunch behind him as the boulder rolled nearer.
Link dashed down the path, reaching for the hookshot at his belt—and swore. It wasn't there. He'd lost track of it when Epona crashed.
The ground quaked beneath his feet. Link's breath came in ragged gasps. Navi urged him on—screamed for him to run faster, but Link could barely hear her over his pounding heart and the boulder's crushing rumble. He could sense it gaining—picking up speed and overtaking him. He fixed his eyes on the exit—the single spot of natural light in the blackness of the cave—and sprinted. At the last moment, he jumped.
Link hit the ground and was blinded by light. A deafening crash shook the mountainside.
He lay there for a long moment, regaining his breath and letting his vision clear. When he finally felt well enough, Link sat up, fumbled for another sip of the potion, and turned to look behind him. The boulder had smashed into the exit, effectively sealing the cave. Link let out a long, shaky breath and thanked the goddesses.
Beside him, a tiny bell chimed weakly. Navi sat on the hard stone ground, her wings limp and her aura dim.
"Are… you okay, Link?" she asked, her wings fluttering faintly.
"Yeah…" Link nodded, still breathless. "I made it in one piece. Thanks to you, I think. You doin' alright?"
Navi jingled, flapping once as she tried and failed to find the energy for flight. "I'm… I'm okay. Just… tired. I didn't realize how hard it would be to—to fly so fast, and… to glow so bright…"
"Well, you know, you made a fine firefly back there, fairy. I… You need a rest. I'll be fit to carry on in… Well, I'll need a few more minutes, but… I think I'll be ready to hit the road again soon. If you'd like… Well, you're welcome to sit on my shoulder while I walk. I imagine you'll be able to see a lot more from there than from the bracelet, and you need a break from flying."
Navi chimed a tired assent. Link scooped her up in his hand and lifted her gently to his shoulder. Then he got to his feet again and began to walk.
By nightfall, Link hurt all over. His legs ached, his shoulder burned, and his body was one massive bruise. Worst of all, his supply of the Red Potion was depressingly low. After only a single day, it was already halfway gone.
Link did not sleep well that night, and the distant howling of the Wolfos did nothing to soothe his uneasy dreams. When morning came and Navi woke him, Link was glad to get back on the road.
He walked all day again, from the time the Cuckoos crowed, to the hour when the Wolfos began their nightly song anew, and then the following dawn, he drank the last of his potion and picked himself up to do the same thing again. As more and more of the dusty red mountain disappeared behind him and the painkiller's effects wore off for the last time, Link began to seriously question the wisdom of being born. The air was only getting thinner, and his life was only getting harder. To make matters worse, the higher Link climbed, the more perilous the terrain seemed to become—random earthquakes shook the ground beneath his feet, and unpredictable rockfalls threatened to crush him with depressing frequency. Death Mountain, he decided, was aptly named.
"Link, did you see that?" Navi asked suddenly, drifting up to survey the dead landscape.
"See what?" Link's throat was dry. After so long silent, the sound of his own voice came as a shock.
"I'm not sure. I just thought I saw… something. Like a shadow up there on that ridge over there. Only for a moment though. I could have been imagining it."
Link raised his head for a moment to look. The narrow trail he followed twisted up the mountain between massive stone walls and ravines so deep light could not penetrate their misty depths, and each high, unreachable ridge seemed much the same as every other high, unreachable ridge. Link gave a noncommittal grunt and turned his attention back to his feet.
Navi fluttered around in aimless circles. "I don't see anything now, but… I'm almost sure…"
A stone clattered to the ground a few feet away, fallen from some impossible height. Something skittered against the ridge. Navi floated up to investigate—and screamed.
"Link! Watch out! Move!"
Link stumbled aside, hurling himself against the wall. Something large and spiderlike hit the ground where he had been standing a moment before, lightly bouncing on four barbed, bony legs. It twisted one way, then the other, until its single red eye locked on Link. The monster looked at him for a long moment, then crouched to spring. Link inched his hand towards his sword.
"Careful! It's going to jump! Stab it here!" Navi swooped down and started flying in tiny circles around the creature's eye. The thing lunged at her, snapping its tiny jaws at her frail wings. Link drew his sword and thrust forward. His blade clanged uselessly against the monster's dusty red carapace. His injured shoulder screamed.
"Don't worry about missing, Link! Try again! You can do it!"
Link's sword fell from his grasp. He clutched at his broken collarbone, shaking his head. "No! I—I can't! Not—augh… Not like this! I can't do it!"
"Well pick up your sword and—" The creature lunged at the fairy again. She dodged, only barely missing its needle-sharp teeth. "Just try, Link! Please!"
Link heard himself whimper, but he grabbed his sword anyway. He readied himself, aimed, and thrust again. The monster shrieked, thick purple blood gushing from its scarlet eye. Link withdrew his sword. The monster hit the ground. Link sheathed his blade and turned to look at Navi.
"What—what was that?"
"A Tektite," Navi replied, prompt and clear as though she were reciting something. "They live on mountains and by lakes, and they hunt by throwing themselves at their prey, bludgeoning their quarry with their hard exoskeletons. You can kill them by targeting their eyes, their joints, and the softer sections of their underbellies."
"And… When were you planning to warn me about them?"
"My job is to help you fight any monster that attacks us."
"It'd help a lot more if I could know before they actually—you know what? Never mind. The sooner we get there, the sooner I can get home and never have to deal with this again."
Navi bobbed her assent, drifting up to follow Link as he resumed walking. "There is one thing I don't understand, though."
"And what's that?"
"Tektites almost never hunt alone."
Something skittered on high. Link heard several soft thuds behind him, as well as the sound of crunching earth.
Link turned. Three Tektites stared back at him, their red eyes unblinking. One crouched, preparing to spring. Half a second after, the other two followed suit.
Link turned again and fled up the mountain.
"It would have been really nice to know this a minute ago, Navi!" he shouted, risking a glance over his shoulder. The Tektites bounded after, each jump bringing them several feet closer. As if that weren't enough, the mountain began to violently shake.
"Link! Watch out!"
"I am watching out!"
"No—look in front of you!"
Link obeyed just in time to see an abyss open up beneath his feet. The ground crumbed, falling away with a noise like rolling thunder. Link scrambled backwards, only barely making it to solid ground. The three Tektites leapt closer, unaffected by the shuddering earth. Link took a deep breath and turned to face them.
"Navi..." The earth rumbled. The stone creaked and groaned and shuddered. The Tektites paused, staring at Link with something akin to cautious curiosity.
"I know," the fairy replied, "I'll do what I can."
The Tektite on the left dropped into a crouch. It was slightly bigger than the others. Link eyed it carefully, bending his knees and drawing his sword.
"Now, Link!"
The monster leapt. Link threw himself sideways. The Tektite missed him—hurtling straight over the cliff and into the abyss.
Navi jingled. "On your right!"
The second monster pounced, slamming into Link's side. Something crunched—probably his ribs. He smashed the hilt of his sword down into the Tektite's eye. Squealing piteously, it staggered back. Link planted his boot on its carapace and shoved it over the cliff's edge.
"Duck!"
Too late—the third Tektite connected with Link's chest and knocked him down. His sword flew from his grasp. The Tektite jumped on top of him, pinning Link as it aimed its needle teeth at his exposed throat. Rocks the size of Link's head rained from the sky, shattering on the earth and pelting everything with sharp debris.
Link raised his one good arm like a shield. The snapping jaws stopped an inch away from his neck.
Navi hurled herself at the monster, bouncing ineffectually off its armor. It didn't notice. The Tektite merely strained harder for Link's blood. He felt its teeth pinch and scrape his skin. He screamed. Death Mountain groaned.
Navi zipped down, weaving around the thing's face, dancing around its fangs. "Close your eyes, Link!"
Link did. Through his eyelids, he saw a bright blue flash. The Tektite yowled, recoiling from the intense light. Link shoved upwards. The monster was too heavy to dislodge.
An earsplitting crack rent the air. The mountain sighed. The path collapsed, sliding downwards into darkness.
Link awoke in a pile of rubble. His ears rang. His vision was blurred. His mouth tasted of dirt and blood. Painfully, he raised his head to look around. His legs were buried under piles of stone. His injured arm had come free of its bandages and was twisted at a frightening angle.
Link licked his lips and attempted to find his voice. It took a few tries. "Navi..?" he finally managed to croak.
The fairy floated down from somewhere high above. Her normally blue aura was tinted green.
"You… okay…?" Link asked.
She bobbed once in the air. "I need you to follow me, Link. Can you do that?"
"I… don't know. I… I can't… can't move my legs."
"You have to try." There was an odd quality to her voice. She seemed solemn. Insistent, even.
Link pulled at his legs, straining to ease his body out from under the dirt and stone. The detritus shifted, but Link did not come free. Everything hurt too much. Dark spots swam in his vision. His head felt light.
"Come on, Link. You can do it. You have to do it."
"I… I can't, Navi, I…" He paused to breath and let his head fall back to the earth.
"You can, Link. You will. Just do as I say. Everything will be fine."
For the next hour, Navi talked to Link, keeping him conscious and coaching him through the process of extricating his legs. When at last he was free, she bid him crawl up the mountain.
Link obeyed. He didn't have the strength to argue.
The rock slide had formed what used to be the path into a steep, crumbly slope. Navi guided Link to the safer paths as he dragged himself upwards. Link paused often to lay his head down and rest. Somewhere far away, a Wolfos howled. The sun sank from sight. The stars emerged one by one, partially obscured by the dark shape of the mountain.
"Only a little farther, Link. You can make it."
"Where…?" Link couldn't find the energy to lift his head and look.
"Three more feet to the cave. When you get inside, everything will be okay."
The last three feet took an age to pass. Every inch seemed a mile. The short, straight tunnel that followed was no better. Easier, but no less painful.
When Navi finally told Link he could stop, he closed his eyes and gratefully slumped into a semiconscious stupor. The floor was smooth and cool beneath his fevered cheek, and Link could hear the soothing sounds of running water echoing through the cave. Nothing had ever sounded so peaceful.
Then somebody screamed. The sound was halfway between joy and grief, and was followed by noises that could have been either laughter or sobs. Link pried his eyes open. An enormous woman—larger than anyone Link had ever seen—appeared from thin air, springing up to float several feet above the ground in a storm of sparkling lights. She was clad only in ivy, and her hair was the color of a ripe summer strawberry. She said something to Navi, who replied incomprehensibly. Link's mind was too far gone to make sense of their words.
He let his eyes drift nearly shut. The woman chuckled, raised her hand to her face, and blew a cloud of glittering cherry blossoms over Link's broken body. The air rang with the sound of magic. A white light enveloped Link's form.
Instantly, the pain drained from Link's limbs and strength flooded back to him. His head cleared, and his bones shifted, moving back into their natural positions. Link picked himself off the ground, amazed to find that he no longer felt hungry or thirsty or tired. It was as if he'd never been injured at all.
He gazed up at the floating woman, speechless, amazed, and intensely grateful. She chuckled, spinning and crossing her legs as though she were seated on an invisible chair.
"Oh, Hero who bares the mark of the Goddesses, I am the Great Fairy of the Mountain. Well met are we this night."
Link bowed awkwardly at the waist and cleared his throat. "I… er… Thanks for the healing—I'm… I believe I owe you my life, but… I think you have me confused with someone else, ma'am."
The Great Fairy exchanged a glance with Navi and smiled. "Are you not the man the Hylian Princess sent to unite the peoples of Hyrule against the evil amassing in the desert?"
"Uh—well—"
"Are you not the man who bares the sign of the sacred force on the back of his left hand?"
"I—wait, what? How did you—"
The Great Fairy waved her hand, pulling Link's glove away with her magic. His birthmark—three golden triangles arranged into one larger triangle—glowed faintly. The Great Fairy smirked and tilted her head, resting her chin lightly in her hand. "Have the people of Hyrule so easily forgotten the ancient tales?"
Link bit the inside of his cheek. "I… I can't speak for everyone, but after the last war, I was too busy looking out for my sister to bother with anything that didn't directly relate to getting us through the day. The old wives were too busy mourning their husbands and sons to tell their tales."
The Great Fairy twisted her face into what might've been a rueful smile. "Well said, boy. Perhaps one day, if you are indeed the Hero the Goddesses chose, there shall come a time when the gaps in your knowledge are filled. But until then, allow me to aid you in your quest. Give me the empty vessel you carry."
Link blinked, suddenly overcome by the surreality of the whole situation. "You mean… my empty bottle?"
"Is there another vessel to which I could refer?" She giggled. "Yes, give me your bottle. I wish to bestow a gift upon you."
Half-convinced he was living out some last hallucination as he lay dying outside in the heap of rubble, Link took the bottle that had recently held his supply of potion and passed it to the Great Fairy. She levitated it towards her and made it float between her open palms.
Magic rang through the cave. A cloud of sparkling light surrounded the Great Fairy, and a pink orb appeared inside Link's bottle. It glowed faintly and fluttered its translucent wings as the bottle floated back towards Link's hands.
He stared at it, confused. "You're giving me another fairy?"
The Great Fairy nodded. "Keep it with you always—it will come to your aid when your need is greatest. But beware—you shall only receive a single second chance."
"And… what does that mean, exactly?"
"You will know when the time comes."
"That's… incredibly helpful," Link muttered, half to himself. "Not cryptic at all."
The Great Fairy smiled. "Return to me when next you are lost and in need of my aid. Step into the light, and I shall return you to the top of the mountain."
"What light? I feel like somewhere in this conversation, I missed something important. What the heck are we talking about, now?"
The Great Fairy simply smiled and blew a kiss in Link's direction. A circle of white light appeared on the ground by his feet. The Great Fairy herself indulged in one final, shrieking laugh, before disappearing back into the empty air. Link looked down at the bottled fairy in his hands, then up at Navi.
"Navi? What just happened?"
"The Great Fairy gave you her blessing, Link. You are very lucky—we got here just in time for her to save your life."
Link nodded slowly. "So… This actually did happen, right? I'm not dreaming, or dead, or something?"
Navi chimed happily. "Not as far as I can tell! Now come on, Link! Step into the light so we can go!"
Link took a deep breath and sighed, stowing the bottle away in his pocket. He shrugged, took one step forward, and the rushing wind surrounded him.
Well, here we go again. Wait-didn't I say that last month? Wait-yeah, I did. Never mind, then! My brain's a bit fried from overexposure to life, so yeah. Don't mind me. Sleep needs to happen, and it hasn't happened, so blah blah blah I'm exhausted. On the plus side, I covered a lot of ground with this chapter. Things are moving, and soon they'll be getting places, and that's exciting. On the even plus-er side, I go on vacation, soon-which is also very exciting. (That's also why I'm posting this now, rather than next Friday, like I usually would. Time constraints exist.)
Anyway, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it, because you guys are great-especially you lovely people who left reviews for me-I love hearing your comments and opinions. There's really no better motivator!
So yeah, I guess I'll see you all next month. By then I might be back in school... Time really flies, doesn't it? Oh well. Let's not think of that, yet. I'll go play Wind Waker again instead. Maybe some Phantom Hourglass, and... all of them. I want to play all of them. Wow, these decisions are hard. Oh well. I'll figure it out eventually.
So, before I sort that out... Thanks again, I hope you guys had fun, and I wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors! See you later!
~Garsson
