"Link? Are you going to open the chest?" Laurel asked.

"Huh? Oh right." Laurel jumped over to the ornate chest and we opened it together. Inside was a big key. At the head there was a sinister red gem, and it had red lights traveling down the sides. "That's a big key." Laurel stated the obvious. "How are we supposed to carry this?"

"I'll take care of it. Let's just go." We left the room and went back to the area with the drawbridge.

"Hey, Link, was this here when we got here the first time?" There was a gazebo-like structure over the lava.

"I don't remember this being here. We can't go anywhere else, so maybe there's a clue here." The two of us searched the entire area, and Laurel finally said, "I don't see anything else here."

I examined the gazebo, and I felt a spike in temperature below me. There was a lava geyser underneath the gazebo. I suddenly got an idea. "Laurel, you might want to step back."

"You're not going to do something stupid, are you?"

"You might not like this, then." I stood in the middle of the gazebo, drew my sword, and did a spin attack. All three of the ropes holding the floor up cut, and I was falling into the lava below. I braced myself for the impact, then I opened my eyes as I saw another door on the rock face. My hunch was right! Before I could feel my surroundings, the lava geyser started going back up. The stone floor went shooting back up to where the gazebo was. At the top, I shouted, "Laurel, get on?"

"Huh?" Before she could react, I grabbed her hand and dragged her onto the stone floor. As we fell, I shielded her as she screamed the entire way down. I jumped off with Laurel onto the stone ledge.

"Laurel, you okay?"

She was quiet for a while, and then she exploded. "You idiot!" She furiously pounded my shoulder. "You scared me half to death! I thought I had lost you! Don't do something like that ever again!"

I pushed her off me, and I said, "Look, we couldn't come up with anything else! We're almost done! I opened the door, and motioned to her, "Ladies first." Laurel scowled at me and walked through. I followed her, and the door shut, and bars came over the doors.

"It's a trap!" Laurel said. There were a handful of monsters in this room. I pulled out my bow, and started aiming for the monsters. The ones that were coming right for us went down easily. The ones far away I aimed carefully. I could tell we were nearly finished with this dungeon. It felt like they were running out of ideas. The bars on both doors lifted up. "That was easy." Laurel said.

The next door opened right into a sea of lava. I could feel my feet burning up, and no doubt, Laurel was feeling the same way. I saw more of the water pots to my right, and a lava geyser going up to another ledge. "Laurel, follow me." I grabbed a water pot and jumped from rock to rock where I saw the lava geyser. I threw the pot in the lava, and the lava hardened into rock. I carried Laurel in my arms and jumped onto the hardened rock. My feet felt like they were roasting as the geyser rocketed up to the ledge. Laurel jumped out of my arms and I opened the door for the two of us. Inside was a wall of blocks.

"This doesn't look fun."

"Well, maybe you should pull out the middle row. There's probably something back there." I paused, then I followed Laurel's advice. I pulled the middle block tower until it fell, but there was nothing on top.

"Maybe I should pull each of the other towers down as well." I pulled them down, but still nothing. I pulled the blocks some more and climbed on top and then I pulled more blocks down. Then I climbed on top and pushed the top block aside. Behind it was a staircase going up. "Laurel, get up here!" Laurel slowly climbed up the block tower. I pulled her up to the top. We went up the stairs and we saw the drawbridge from before at the top. I shot the pole that was holding the chains up, but the bridge was also held up with ropes. I grabbed my boomerang and slashed apart the ropes. The bridge came crashing down. "Now we can go back to the other areas easily."

Laurel was focused on the huge door locked with chains and a huge lock that looked like an eye. "Whatever was watching us is in here."

"I'm telling you, nothing is watching us."

Changing the subject, Laurel asked, "Do you still have that key?"

I dragged it out of my pack. "Yeah, I got it right here." I placed it in the lock and it and the chains fell to the ground. The two of us pushed open the door. The room was circular and surrounded by a ring of lava. In front of us was a statue head. Suddenly, the door slammed shut, and we heard a booming voice.

"Impressive, just impressive. Both of you. I've been watching your progress."

"Told ya. I knew someone was watching us through those eyes." Laurel bragged.

"Fine, you want to say 'I told you so?'"

"Yeah. I. Told. You. So."

"Fine, there. You got me."

"Stop ignoring me! Now, as I said, I am…"

"I'm calling you Guard'in." I interrupted.

"What?"

"That's a stupid name, Link."

"Sorry, it was a pun I couldn't resist."

"Stop it! I am the Avatar of Power! If you truly believe you are the chosen hero, you have me to test you! Show your power to me!" Guard'in emerged from the wall, and had two hands follow. It all seemed familiar.

"Link! There are eyes on its hands, shoot there!"

I pulled out my bow. The hands were trying to slam me into the ground. As soon as I got a clear shot, I fired at the hand's eye. It fell to the ground. There was a red gem on its back, so I took the liberty to whack the heck out of it with my sword. I couldn't knock the gem completely off. The other hand started whacking me, and I shot its eye. It fell, and I got a good shot at its eye. I stabbed the gem and it shattered into a million pieces. The hand then exploded.

"Well played hero, but can you dodge this?" The other hand grabbed me and threw me against the ground. I rolled out of the way before it tried to smash me. I leapt up and slashed the hand's gem, and it fell apart. The hand exploded. "Impressive. Time to turn up the heat!" Guard'in blew a stream of fire. I ran out of the way.

"Tsk." Guard'in said. "I guess I'll have to aim for someone less dodgy." It turned toward Laurel and started to breathe fire. I quickly ran in front of her and pulled out my shield. I closed my eyes and braced myself. The next sensation was a burning one. My shield caught on fire!

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" I shook my shield arm and threw it down. I tried stomping it out, but I couldn't save it. "Are you okay, Laurel?"

"I'm fine. Are you?"

"Yeah."

"Shoot out its eyes. That should take care of it."

"On it." I pulled out my bow, and I shot its eye while it was gloating.

"Ow, you prick! Let's see how you like this!" Guard'in slammed its head down, and both Laurel and I dove out of the way. I quickly notched an arrow, and shot out its other eye. Guard'in fell down, and its mouth revealed a huge red gem. I tried attacking it, but my sword only bounced off.

"Link!" Laurel pointed out a convenient bomb flower in the middle of the arena.

"Was that there a moment ago?"

"Does it matter? Blow it up!" I ripped out the bomb flower and threw it into its mouth. The gem shattered. Guard'in glowed, and a gentler voice said. "O chosen heroes, you have passed your ordeal. Walk into the light, and accept your destiny!" The statue head went back into the wall, and a light shined. I took Laurel's hand and we both walked into the light.