It was cold, so very cold.

I was always glad that my quest in Hyrule never led me to the frigid Northern Mountain that the royal knights of Hyrule Castle would rumor of. There were supposed to be yetis up there, but that wasn't what kept me away. It was the freezing temperature. The very idea of being chilled to the bone and tuned into an ice block was definitely unappealing. I was glad be out of that Ice Cavern in Zora's Domain as soon as I was. Even as an adult, I never liked the cold, it always felt empty, lonely.

'Here I am, on another quest. What would I have to do to be rid of this torment, this burden to be the hero, this constant sacrifice, this perpetual instinct to be courageous, this burning desire to be remembered…What would I have to give? What did I have to give? I have already lost everything.'

'But have I? I still have my name, my courage, my honor, my sanity, my self, my life. I know better than anyone that I shouldn't take those things for granted.'

'Would it be worth it?…to give up everything at the cost of who I was just to be at peace with myself, just to see Zelda again, just to live a life…'

'I guess that's why I'm here. I wasn't willing to give it all up. I couldn't. It wasn't sensible for me to put myself before the lives of the citizens of Hyrule and now, the denizens of this world'

'Goddesses, it's cold. What was I just thinking about? Something about…I don't remember. It probably wasn't that important. I'll just keep…'

'Umm…where did he come from? I didn't see him before.'

A proud Goron was now before me, yet he had an opaquely grey skin color and was floating about a foot off the ground.

"Can it be?" the Goron asked, "Are you able to see me? If you truly can see me, then follow behind me…"


I followed him to a snowy cliff, where I spotted two freezing Gorons in front of the entrance to a cave.

'These poor Gorons…they must be willing to do anything to be somewhere like Death Mountain, even to just be out of the cold.'

The cave filled me with a revitalizing warmth as soon as I entered, which was a welcome contrast to the frozen tundra just outside.

I walked towards a large grave surrounded by odd purple spikes where the Goron was waiting for me.

"The soaring one said the one who could see me would be arriving soon…It seems that it turned out to be true. I am Darmani the Third. The blood of proud Goron heroes runs in me. This feels strange for me to say, but when I was alive, I was a renowned warrior and veteran."

'So he is dead'

"Yes…When I was alive…But alas…I am now dead. I was fine until I marched off to Snowhead by myself, hoping that I could drive off a demon. It had been wreaking havoc on Goron Village…Then the blizzard at Snowhead blew me into the valley…And now…Here I am…"

'I have no right to take my own life for granted, not when so many others have lost theirs.'

"How infuriating! As I am, I can only watch as Goron Village is slowly buried in ice…I may have died, but I cannot rest."

"So, you can use magic?" The Goron asked.

'I guess, but I'm not sure a tiny bubble will really help you…'

"The soaring one told me that you are able to use it…"

'It really isn't much.'

"I beg you! Bring me back to life with your magic!"

'Bargaining with me won't change anything.'

"I really am sorry," I sad, "…but I don't think I am able to…'

"If it is beyond your power, then I beg of you to do this for me instead…Heal my sorrows. Any way that you can do it will suffice…Please…heal my sorrows."

'Oh…the magic of music…it transports you across time and space and even into yourself, into memories, into feelings. Nowhere have I been where I have seen magic quite like it. There is so much power in certain notes and certain melodies that provides something genuine to any listener…and that song…that song the oddly happy mask salesman taught me…it had brought me so much happiness, so much peace, if only for the briefest of moments. I can only hope it can give him the same comfort and solace.'

As I brought the ocarina to my lips and played that healing song, my vision blurred and faded into white.

"What a soothing melody," I heard, "…my sorrows are melting away into the song."

I saw crowds of Gorons, raising their arms in pride and cheering for their leader. He was their hero, yet he had died. He had failed them. The deceased Goron cried golden tears at the mere sight of his people being happy, having peace, persevering on their own, yet indebted to him, their savior, for their tranquility. He cried because he knew all too well that his people were now suffering instead, and it was his fault.

As the Goron faded away, he nodded at me.

'It is I, now. It is I who is responsible for the lives of the Gorons, the lives of everyone. I knew that already, but…'

'It doesn't matter what I would be willing to give up to change my destiny because that's just it. I can't change my destiny. I am destined to give up everything for the lives of others. That is my sacrifice. My life doesn't matter anymore. I can't change the fact that Zelda sent me back in time and I can't change the fact that I will be forgotten. All legends die eventually, that's out of my control. I can only control what I do in the moment, after learning from past joy, and yes, past failure. I owe it to everyone to sacrifice myself for them, and not for me. If I die saving someone else, than…well…I would have died like this Goron. He didn't die with everything he wanted, but he died fighting for it, fighting for others…a noble and heroic cause that I now uphold without hesitation.'

"I leave my undying feelings with you…" I heard a voice say, "The deeds I accomplished while living are carved on my grave. You should read it."

I picked up the mask before me and heard the voice again.

"For the Goron Village…I have asked your assistance…"


Snowhead Temple was even colder than the snowy village outside, and incredibly more perilous. If it weren't for the occasional lake of lava to balance the freezing temperature, I may have ended up a block of ice. I spent a long day dodging freezards, avoiding getting impaled by icicles, surviving the magical attacks of the wizzrobe, and trying not to fall off high precipices. As much fun as it was to roll around like a Goron, I was glad to be done with that temple as soon as I was.

Goht, the masked mechanical monster, was frozen in a towering ice block. Once the heat of my fire arrow thawed him, he ran fast in a circular pattern and, if it weren't for my new Goron abilities, I would have been trampled into the ground. However painful the summoned shocks of electricity were, he eventually took enough damage to run into a wall, disoriented, resulting in multiple boulders falling on him.

Much like Odolwa, his remains took the form of a mask in the likeness of his face, which transported me as soon as I laid a finger on it.

This time, everything was white, the large pillar, the bubbles, the endless waterfalls, all a pristine and pure white.

"W-What exactly are all of you?" asked Tatl.

"Guardians," replied the giant.

"Guardians?" the fairy retorted, "So…You're protective gods? That's why you're in the temples…But why are the protective gods…?"

The giant started to fade away.

"No, wait! Are you listening to me? Hey! Wait…"

We were transported back to the village and I couldn't help but smile when I saw lush green grass and a tall green pine tree.

'I had done it. Snowhead no longer would cause these poor Gorons the unbearable cold. They could live and be happy in their home, just what their chief had died for.'

'But…'

My smile faded.

'Oh no…'

'It's inevitable isn't it?'

'When…when I restart the three-day cycle…everything…will go back…'

'They don't deserve the cruelty of this world. No one does. Not even the Skull Kid.'


I didn't know why I wanted to keep going.

'What is past that boulder that is so important? What is pulling me towards it? Why is it my instinct to find what it would reveal as soon as possible? What am I even expecting to find?'

The boulder exploded with a large boom, revealing the pathway to Romani Ranch. I ran up the grassy hills to the settlements ahead of me and I was looking up at the massive moon above when I heard her.

'I know that whinny'

"L-Look!" Tatl exclaimed.

"Isn't that your horse?!," she said as I looked over.

'It is, it really is!'

I yelled "Epona!" as I ran over.

'It really is her. She's alive. She's okay.'

'I thought I lost her forever. I'm so glad I still have her. My horse…my friend…I thought I lost everything…but seeing her again…riding her…this bright smile on my face…maybe everything would turn out okay…maybe…'