Quick Recap

Fairy Tail has fended off the assault from Phantom Lord despite the loss of their Guild House in a series of fierce battles that pitted some of their strongest mages against the best Phantom Lord had.

Gray, Fairy Tail's Ice-Make Mage, took on Juvia of the Deep, Phantom Lord's most powerful Water Mage. Despite prior injuries he had sustained from an old friend turned enemy, Lyon, Gray claimed victory in the fight; even unintentionally capturing Juvia's heart in the process.

Beast-Arm Elfman of Fairy Tail took on Sol of the Earth and came close to being defeated, but in the end claimed victory over the sadistic Earth Mage with the return of his Full Body Take-Over.

Salamander Natsu took on Aria of the Void, but was unable to pierce the latter's defenses and was saved by the timely interruption of both Maharathi Link and Erza the Titania, two of Fairy Tail's most powerful mages. Despite his loss, he quickly regained his fighting spirit and went on to challenge Kurogane Gajeel, Phantom Lord's own Iron Dragon Slayer and its second strongest mage after its Guild Master, Jose. After an intense fight, the Fire Dragon Slayer proved victorious, leaving only Jose left.

Jose, not only the Master of a Guild but also a member of the Ten Wizard Saints like Makarov, was confronted by the combined might of Link and Erza. Though the two were not at full fighting strength, they hardened their will and fought to protect their Guild. Despite their best efforts, it seemed they were no match for the sadistic mage as he held them both with only a moderate effort on his part.

A timely interruption from both Elfman and Gray turned the tide, however, and granted them the time and opportunity to set Jose up for something that not even he could defend against; a Unison Raid. Though it drained the last of their magical power, the display of magical power and teamwork dealt the final blow the Phantom Lord Guild Master; ending the Guild War and confirming Fairy Tail's title as the strongest Guild in Fiore.

All that's left now is to repair the damage done to their Guild.


Chapter Twenty Three

Lucy, dressed in a black, low cut tank top and denim mini skirt, let out a small sigh as she sat at the bar of the now partially reconstructed Guild House. "Man, this construction work isn't easy." She said as she rubbed her shoulders. All around the Guild, other people were sitting down to relax as well while Mirajane walked up to Lucy with her usual smile in place.

"It's good to see you decided to stay with us, Lucy." Mirajane said and the blonde mage froze before she let out another sigh.

"I still can't believe those guys broke into my house like that." Lucy said and Mirajane giggled softly. "Actually, what's worse is that I can believe it." She added as she brought a hand to her forehead. "Even if they were worried, they should respect other people's privacy." Lucy's complaint got another giggle from Mirajane before she leaned forward.

"Well, I think Link was a bad influence on them in that regard." She confided and Lucy blinked before she looked at her incredulously. "Oh yes, Link's always had a bad habit of just entering people's homes without asking. But he's at least learned not to do that with people that aren't nakama." Mirajane said with a smile. "Besides, otherwise we never would have learned that Lucy is a princess." She added with a laugh and Lucy blushed before she gave an embarrassed smile.

"W-well, their reactions were kind of funny." Lucy admitted as she remembered the looks on their faces. "Well... except for Link." She added her expression changed to curiosity.

Heartfilia Mansion - Three Days Ago

Lucy, dressed in a pair of black shorts and a white shirt, stood before a stone coffin with a large statue of a robed angel, its hands clasped in prayer over its chest, situated just behind it. Engraved upon the stone coffin were the following words:

Layla Heartfilia X748-X777

"Hello, Mother." Lucy said with a sad smile on her face. "Sorry I haven't visited you in a while... but you see, I ran away from home." She said as she looked down at her feet for a few seconds. "Oh, I joined a Mage's Guild!" She said with sudden excitement as she looked back up at the coffin with a wide smile. "In fact, I was able to get into Fairy Tail. You remember; the one from the Weekly Sorcerer that always got into trouble?" She asked with a laugh. "It's a really crazy place, but I've made some great friends." She said before her expression became troubled. "But Father... he used his money and caused some real trouble for them just to try and force me to come back." Lucy paused for a few seconds before her eyes became determined. "But don't worry, Mother, I didn't come back to give in, I just came to let him know once and for all how I'm going to live my life." She said firmly before her eyes softened again. "I probably won't be back for a while... look after Father, okay?" She asked before she turned around with a sad sigh.

"LUCY!" Three loud voices suddenly made her lock up in surprise; Natsu, Gray, and Lucy. Her jaw dropped as her eyes bugged out when she saw not only them, but Erza and Link racing toward her at high speed as well.

Happy slammed into her chest with tears in his eyes and she reflexively hugged him. The others were not far behind and though things were tense at first, Lucy was able to explain that the note they had read about her returning was just to warn her Father off against further action and to visit her Mother's grave; not that she was planning on leaving Fairy Tail for their protection.

They all looked at her in surprise before Natsu started stomping his foot angrily on the ground. "Damnit, that's all that was!" He roared angrily while Gray just sighed and put his right palm to his forehead.

Link brought his left hand to his mouth to contain a small chuckle while Erza burst into loud laughter at the misunderstanding. A laughter that Lucy quickly joined in with as Happy broke into a wide smile.

"I can't believe you guys!" Lucy scolded in half-anger, half-amusement later on as they walked back to the train station. Well, all of them but Happy, who was currently being carried in Lucy's arms.

"Well, we were worried." Natsu said unapologetically with his hands crossed behind his head. "Heh, Happy was even crying the entire way over here." He added with a teasing grin.

"I was not!" Happy denied indignantly as he glared over at Natsu.

"I guess that's what we get for jumping to conclusions." Gray said; the white shirt he had on during his run towards Lucy somehow having disappeared. Lucy let out a sigh but didn't even bother bringing it up, she was sure that it had been blown away at this point. "Still, I've gotta say that this city is pretty big." He commented as he looked around.

"Ah... well..." Lucy said as let out an embarrassed smile. "This is actually just the garden." She said and they all paused before looking at her with confused expressions. "You see, my family actually owns all the land leading up to those mountains." She explained as she pointed at a mountain range several miles away.

None of them reacted for several seconds before Natsu and Gray suddenly snapped to attention. "Your Excellency!" Natsu said with an almost military air to him and Lucy blinked then looked at him in surprise.

"It's a true honor to know someone as humble as you." Gray said in the exact same tone and Lucy's eyes widened further while Happy broke away to fly around them.

"Natsu and Gray are down for the count." Happy declared then flew over to Erza. "Captain Erza, what are your thoughts?" He asked and Erza was silent for several, long seconds before she put her hands on her hips and looked up at the sky.

"The sky... is... blue..." She said almost in a trance and Happy's eyes bugged out of their sockets.

"We've lost the captain! Lieutenant Link!" Happy moved on before he and Lucy both froze when they saw Link just looking at her in mild surprise.

Fairy Tail

"Eh?" Mirajane asked with a confused expression on her face.

"Yeah, Link just kind of looked at me for a few seconds before looking out at the mountains." Lucy said before she closed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hmmm... if I had to place it... he seemed almost... nostalgic? Or maybe wistful?" She guessed uncertainly then reopened her eyes.

"Fufufu..." Mirajane suddenly giggled softly. "Maybe Link knows an actual princess and you reminded him of her." She said and Lucy paused before giggling as well.

"What, that also happens to have blonde hair?" Lucy asked and their giggling grew a little louder at the thought. They both calmed down after a couple of minutes and Lucy looked around curiously. "Is Master still at the Mage's Council?" She asked and Mirajane paused before she nodded her head.

"He is, but you just reminded me of something." Mirajane said then turned to face everyone as they relaxed. "Everyone! May I have your attention please?" She called out and everyone looked towards her. "As of today, we can now receive job requests again! Make sure you do your best!" She said with a wide smile and most of the Guild looked at her with wide eyes before charging forward.

"UHHOOOOO!" Came the loud cry as they rushed in at the Job Board with wide smiles. "WE HAVE JOBS! WE HAVE JOBS!" They chanted happily as they all swarmed around the Board and started looking at the various requests.

Lucy and Mirajane watched the commotion for a while before Lucy let out a small sigh. "What are they so excited for?" She asked as she shook her head. "All they ever do is drink and laze about anyways." She said with an amused grin and Mirajane laughed at the comment. "By the way..." Lucy said as her eyes became more focused. "I haven't seen Loke for a few days, I wonder what happened to him." She said as she tried to spot the orange-haired playboy Ring Mage in the crowd.

"Uh-oh, has Lucy finally fallen to Loke's charm?" Mirajane asked with a teasing smile.

Lucy blinked before turned an incredulous look on the white-haired beauty. "Of course not!" She said indignantly and Mirajane let out another giggle at her reaction. "It's just..." She trailed off before giving a sigh as she pulled out her set of Zodiac Keys. "It seems he found my keys... so I wanted to thank him." She said as she gently ran her fingers across the golden and silver keys.

Mirajane's face became more serious as she gave Lucy a nod. "If I see him, I'll make sure to pass on the message." She said before she tilted her head curiously. "By the way, are you sure it's a good idea to talk about? Aren't the Celestial Spirits still angry?" She asked and Lucy's body locked up.

"Ha ha..." The blonde laughed weakly as an image of an enraged blue-haired mermaid with a blue bikini top and golden circlet, Aquarius, came to her. "Angry... doesn't begin to cover it..." She said before she collapsed forward to rest her head against the bar counter as she grabbed her butt. "Just thinking about it makes my butt hurt." She whimpered and Mirajane gave her a sympathy-filled look.

"If your butt hurts, do you need me to cool it?" Gray asked as he walked over to them, his right hand up with a cold aura around it, and Lucy blushed slightly before she let out a sigh.

"Don't try to make it sound like you're being a gentleman, that's sexual harassment." She said primly.

"Lucy, let me see your red butt." Happy said with barely controlled laughter and Lucy's eyes went wide before she turned back to him.

"That is obviously sexual harassment!" She screamed angrily but Happy showed no sign of apologizing.

"Hey, I wonder what type of expression Lucy would make if I her butt hurt more?" Natsu asked Happy with an evil grin as he brought one flame-enshrouded hand up and Happy looked up at him with an agreeing smile.

"ARE YOU A DEVIL?" Lucy screamed angrily before jerking back in surprise as the Fire Dragon Slayer was suddenly smashed to the ground by a flying chair.

"I dare you to say that again!" Erza screamed angrily and all movement stopped as everyone looked to see her and Link glaring at a sitting Laxus, his black cape splayed out behind his chair.

"Fine then, let me put it in a way simple enough for you to understand." Laxus said with an arrogant smile. "This Guild doesn't need weak bastards." He declared with a demeaning chuckle and both Link's and Erza's eyes tightened angrily. "To be looked down on by a Guild like Phantom Lord... it's just too humiliating, I couldn't face anyone." He said with a mock-embarrassed shake of his head.

"Laxus is back?" Happy asked in surprise as Gray looked over in irritation.

"Bastard just mouths off as soon as he gets back." He said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Laxus... S-Class Laxus, who was able to knock even Link unconscious. Lucy thought as she swallowed nervously.

Laxus let out a snort as the other two S-Class Mages glared at him before he looked around. "Ah, you're the ones I'm talking about." He said then gestured at a surprised Levy, Jet, and Droy. "I heard all three of you got the crap kicked out of you by Kurogane Gajeel. You're a disgrace!" He snapped then let out a laugh as they just looked down at the ground with defeated expressions.

"Bastard, you didn't even show up to fight." Erza said angrily but Laxus just waved his hand dismissively.

"Of course, that business had nothing to do with me." He said then stood up and stretched his arms. "But if I had... then we would have won easily." Laxus stated arrogantly then laughed loudly when Erza's eyes widened in rage as her right hand curled into a fist.

"Cowards should not talk about battles they hid from." Link said in his usual, quiet tone and all movement, even from an enraged Natsu, stopped as abruptly as Laxus's laughter.

"What... did you say?" Laxus asked, his arrogance now replaced with rage, as everyone but Erza looked at Link in surprise.

"I asked Mira if you or Mystogan had been contacted." Link went on as he walked closer to Laxus without concern. "Mystogan couldn't be found... but you were. When you were asked, what did you say?" He asked as his breathing deepened slightly while the tips of his ears started to tremble erratically.

Laxus seemed to take strength from Link's repressed anger and his smirk returned full strength. "I said that it wasn't my concern, which it wasn't. But, I agreed to help if just one of three conditions were met; I thought I was being pretty generous considering the circumstances." He said and Link's eyes twitched for a second. "The old man would retire and make me Master; if Lucy would become my woman; or if Cana would give me a little stri -!" Was as far as Laxus got before Link punched him square in the jaw, sending him flying back through several tables and chairs.

Everyone looked at Link in shock for his actions, so far removed from the usual calm and level-headed mage, before freezing as Laxus easily stood up, enraged. "How could someone as disgusting as you be in Fairy Tail?" Link asked as righteous fury blazed in his eyes and Laxus let out a growl as electricity started to discharge from his body. At that, everyone ran away as quick as they could just in time to give Laxus a clear field of fire.

"GRAAAAGGHH!" Laxus roared as he shot a large blast of lightning at Link.

Link brought his left leg back and squared his stance as he Requipped a brown staff with a spiral top and yellow spiral lines running down its length to both hands. The lightning slammed into the staff and sent several decent sized discharges out before being sucked into its length, causing the yellow lines to shine brightly. "The Staff of Raijin?" One person called out incredulously as the lightning finished being absorbed into the staff.

Laxus's eyes widened slightly before tightening again as the yellow lines let out a bright pulse of light. "GRAAAAGH!" He roared as he fired another blast of lightning.

"Hyaaa!" Link roared as the lightning the staff had absorbed shot back out to meet the second one when Erza suddenly jumped between the two as she Requipped a light blue and gold armor, the Lightning Empress Armor. The armor consisted of a light blue breastplate with golden wing designs on the front with a white, three-pronged skirt. On her shoulders were similar, separated shoulder pauldrons that each sported a large, spiked protrusion; a design shared by her gauntlets, though they had seven, smaller protrusions. Her leg greaves bore one large protrusion on each knee before going to down to form simple, though armored, boots with high heels. Her hair now had went down into a long braid and sported two, white ribbons by her ears. In her hands was a long spear with a large blade and a small, decorated shield attached to the shaft; another ribbon fluttering from the shield.

Erza slammed the butt of the spear down and a dome of blue electricity formed around her, which caught and held both blasts of lightning with no signs of strain. Both Link and Laxus looked at her in surprise for her interference, an expression she returned with an angry glare aimed at one then the other. "Enough," She said firmly and Laxus's glare returned while Link blinked couple of times as his ears flicked. "The Guild House is still being repaired, do you both wish to destroy all the hard work that's taken place?" She demanded and Link's eyes widened slightly before he looked around to take in the looks of fear from almost everyone there. Those that weren't afraid of the potential clash, such as Natsu, Gray, and a few others, were certainly tense as they looked on.

Link's ears drooped a couple of inches as his gaze fell to the ground before he took a deep breath to expel his anger as he Ex-Equipped the Staff of Raijin. "What's this, you're not going to fight because a woman tells you not to?" Laxus demanded angrily but Link just looked at him calmly, refusing to rise to the bait.

"Erza's right, the Guild is no condition for this." Link said and Laxus's scowl deepened as sighs of relief echoed around them. Then, without another word, Link turned around and walked towards the bar.

Laxus's eyes went with rage as Link turned his back on him while electricity started to discharge from his entire body. "Then I'll fight you!" Natsu suddenly roared as he leaped over Erza to come down at Laxus with a flame-enshrouded fist. Link quickly turned back as he and Erza looked on in surprise as Natsu came down at the large blonde.

"Buzz off." Laxus said as he thrust his right hand out to fire a blast of lightning.

Natsu was easily overpowered by the attack and sent flying back to slam into the ground at the far side of the Guild House. The Fire Dragon Slayer made a couple of weak attempts to get up, but his body's twitching thwarted all attempts and left him sprawling on the ground. "Kkk... damnit..." Natsu got out before freezing as Laxus let out a loud fit of arrogant laughter, his good mood suddenly restored. "Natsu!" Lucy cried out as she ran to his side, Link right beside her as they both knelt down.

"I think I've had it with this place for now." Laxus said as he turned around to walk away. "But remember this." He said as he glanced back with a manic smile. "If I succeed the Guild, I'll remove all the weak trash!" He warned before his gaze went to Erza then Link. "As well as all those who oppose me! I will build the strongest Guild in history! A Guild that no one will ever dare look down on!" He declared then resumed walking away as he burst into more arrogant laughter.

"D-d-damni-it..." Natsu growled out as he continued his attempts to get up before looking up at Link as he pulled a vial of a yellow looking liquid from his pouch. "Tch... I-I'll g-g-get h-him next t-ti-time." Natsu stammered out before opening his mouth to drink the liquid as Link poured it out.

"How's Natsu?" Erza asked as she walked up, back in her usual armor and skirt attire.

"I'm fine." Natsu said as his body stopped twitching and he immediately sat up with an irritated look on his face while Lucy let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey, what did Laxus mean if he inherited the Guild?" Lucy suddenly asked and the three mages looked at her. "Someone like him, he couldn't possibly be chosen as the next Guild Master, right?"

"Well, that's not exactly the case." Mirajane said as she walked over and Lucy immediately looked up at her curiously. "Because you see, Laxus is actually Master's flesh and blood grandson." She said and Lucy blinked before her jaw dropped in disbelief as she mentally compared the two of them. "So you see, the idea that Laxus could inherit the Guild isn't too far-fetched."

Lucy looked up at her incredulously before her gaze went to the ground. "But... I don't like that... for someone who looks at his nakama like he does to be the next Master." She said in a downtrodden tone before she looked up as Link suddenly stood up and dusted his shorts off.

"Well, it's nothing to be concerned about right now." Erza said as she stood up as well with Natsu and Lucy following suit. "I know, how about we all take up a job?" She asked, getting surprised looks from Natsu and Lucy while Link just looked at her curiously. "Gray should come as well." She added and at that Gray looked back in shock, now only wearing his boxers, while Link raised his right eyebrow questioningly. "Haven't any of you noticed?" She asked and Lucy, Gray, and Natsu looked at each with confused expressions. "All of us seem to keep gathering together, just like a team." She said then made a small sound of amusement. "How about we make it official, the six of us?" She asked and Lucy's eyes brightened happily as Happy soared into the air with a wide smile while Link just offered a small grin then nodded his head in agreement.

Natsu and Gray seemed less than thrilled at the idea and glared at each other warily. Link noticed their looks and walked closer to Mirajane to ask her something. Mirajane looked at him in surprise before she nodded her head with a bright smile and two of them walked over to the bar.

"With... with this guy..." Natsu and Gray both said warily as their eyes twitched.

"Is there a problem?" Erza asked as she looked at them and they immediately threw their arms over each other's shoulders.

"No problem!" They both said with wide smiles and Lucy giggled at their reaction.

"Amazing! With this Fairy Tail's Strongest Team truly is born!" Max said with an excited smile while others cheered.

"Wait... Lucy's... one of the strongest?" Jet said as he looked at his teammates in disbelief but Droy just shrugged his shoulders.

"If she were to summon Aquarius, I would have no chance of victory." Droy said simply and Levy gave a small giggle.

"You're probably right." She agreed, which got her a helpless look from Jet.

"Okay then, I have our first job right-" Erza started to say before pausing as Link cleared his throat while he walked back over.

"Erza, do you mind if I choose our team's first job?" Link asked with a small gleam in his eyes and Erza looked at him curiously before she looked at the others then nodded her head. The green-clad mage nodded his head in appreciation before he pulled a rolled up piece of paper that had been tucked behind his back. The other five gathered around him, Happy perched on Natsu's head, and looked down at the job he had chosen.

What they saw made their eyes go wide. The job in Link's hand was an S-Class Job, one with a reward for 15 million jewels.

"A-are you serious, Link?" Natsu asked as he looked back up at Link and got a nod of confirmation from him. "YES!" He said as he pumped his right fist into the air and Link winced as his ears twitched.

"I-I don't know about this..." Lucy said as Gray's face broke into a wide smirk.

"Hmph, well, it is only a Chimaera, so it shouldn't be too troublesome for all of us." Erza said with a confident smile and Lucy broke into a cold sweat before she sighed helplessly.

"Well, I guess since I agreed to join, there's nothing I can do." She said then looked over in surprise as Natsu clapped his hand on her shoulder.

"What do you mean? We'll finish this in no time and actually have an official S-Class under our belts!" He said with a wide smile and Lucy paused at his confidence before her face widened into a smile as well. "Come on! Let's go!" Natsu declared and Happy jumped into the air.

"Aye, Sir!"


Into the Past: Ocarina Lesson

Forest outside Magnolia - Eight Years Ago

Erza, in her usual armor, long-sleeved shirt, and long blue skirt, and Link, also in his usual green tunic, hat, and shorts, sat on a pair of stumps in a small clearing. Sweat dripped from their faces as they placed their short swords on the ground and Link pulled out a couple of water bottles from his pouch, one of which he tossed to Erza. "Thank you," Erza said before she opened it up to drink down the refreshing water and Link nodded his head before following suit.

Once they were done, they both screwed the cap back on and placed the bottles next to their short swords. "I think I'm starting to get the hang of this." Erza said and Link nodded his head with a small grin of encouragement on his face.

It has been a little over two months since Link "arrived" at Fairy Tail and already he and Erza had accomplished four jobs successfully. It was an amazing feat, especially considering that most of the first month Link had been there he had to recover from his ordeal that had literally dropped him in the Guild from thin air.

While Makarov had yet to approve another demon subjugation job for the pair, the next two focused on capturing mages that used their magic for illegal activities, and their fourth had involved bringing down an elusive group of thirty bandits plaguing a small town. Now, the two were working on something that Link had noticed; Erza seemed to be reading her opponents' minds as she fought.

When he asked her how long she had been able to fight like that, she responded with confusion at what he was talking about. Link was only mildly surprised that she seemed to fight like that instinctively, but he then volunteered to show her how to hone that ability to a more useful degree. Though at first it had been a bit more difficult than Erza had believed it would be, she was proving to be a quick study.

"Hey, Link..." Erza started then trailed off as she looked at the ground uncertainly, something that Link found to be odd for the usually confident girl. "Do you remember when you first woke up after you crashed into the Guild?" She asked and Link cocked his head to the side as he looked at her curiously for a few seconds before he nodded his head. "That music you played... it was... beautiful." She said as a small blush came to her face.

Link offered a small smile in thanks but continued to look at her curiously, wondering why she was bringing it up. Erza noticed his expression and closed her eyes then took a deep breath. She let it out in one go then opened up her eyes to look at Link intently. "Would you be willing to teach me?" She asked and Link blinked in surprise.

"You want to learn... to play the ocarina?" He asked and Erza nodded her head once in confirmation. Link looked down at the ground for several moments before he reached into his pouch to pull out the Fairy Ocarina.

Erza looked at it with a mildly confused expression; she was sure the one he had used before was blue. She looked back up at him to ask him about it before freezing when she saw a deep sadness on his face, his ears down low. "L-Link?" Erza called out uncertainly and the young mage blinked his eyes as his ears twitched before he looked up at her in surprise.

"Sorry." Link said with a shake of his head. "I was... lost in thought." He said then looked down at the ocarina one more time. "Here," He extended his hand to offer her the ocarina after a few more seconds and Erza carefully took the instrument from him.

Erza looked down at it as Link pulled out the Ocarina of Time. "This is important to you, isn't it?" She asked and Link immediately froze as he started closing his pouch.

He stayed still for only a couple of seconds before he let out a sad sigh then finished closing the pouch. "It's a gift from a dear friend." Link said as he looked down at the Ocarina of Time.

"Thank you." Erza said and Link blinked before he looked back up at her. "I... have some idea of how hard it must be to let me use a gift from a close friend." She said then gave Link a happy smile. "Thank you." She said and after a few seconds Link offered a small smile in return as his face brightened a little.

Thirty Minutes Later

Link's ears fluttered rapidly as he closed his eyes against a loud screeching whistling sound that threatened to drive him insane. The sound was coming from the Fairy Ocarina as Erza blew into it. She quickly cut herself off as she heard the sound and looked down at the ground with a pout on her face. "What am I doing wrong?" She asked angrily as she continued to glare the ground.

It took Link almost a minute to recover from the assault on his ears, something that only darkened Erza's mood even more, before he was finally able to answer. "Too much force." Link explained and Erza looked up at him, her pout giving way to confusion. "Take a deep breath and hold it." He instructed and after looking at him for a few seconds to see if he was being serious, took a deep breath. "Now, do as I do." He said then took a deep breath then pursed his lips together and slowly exhaled.

Erza pursed her lips and slowly exhaled. When she was done she looked back at Link and he hopped up from his stump to walk over behind her. "Now bring the ocarina up as if you were about to play." He said and Erza immediately brought the instrument up to her lips. "Cover all the holes but the bottom left." He instructed and she quickly placed her fingers in the proper spots. "Now, exhale slowly into the mouthpiece." He said and Erza closed her eyes as she took a deep breath then placed her lips on the mouthpiece and carefully exhaled.

The result was a clear, crisp high note that made Erza's eyes go wide in surprise. When she was done, she brought the Fairy Ocarina from her mouth and looked down at it with wide eyes. "I... I did it." She said in wonder then looked up at Link. "I really did it." She said with a bright smile, the first he had seen from her, and his eyes widened slightly as her entire face seemed to glow.

Link was able to clear his mind after a short delay and gave her a congratulatory smile before he sat down on the ground next to the log then motioned for her to join him. "Now, for the rest of the notes." He said once she was sitting down and she nodded her head once as she listened attentively.


Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.

Till next time.