A/N: This is shorter than the others but I'm pretty pleased with it? I guess.

Reviews are my lifeblood :)


"I've heard of Satori Mountain," Zelda said as the group saddled their horses for the trip.

They had spent the night at the stable again and just as the sun rose, they were awake and preparing to travel towards the mountain where Link had seen the shaft of light.

"Is it a mystical place?" Mipha asked as she and the other Zora finished off their breakfast of honeyed apples.

Zelda nodded, patting Bluebell's neck after sliding the bit into the horse's mouth. "It's said to be the birthplace of rabbit-like creatures known as Blupees. If you hit them with an arrow, they supposedly drop Rupees. They gather on that mountain every so often and are guarded by a deity spirit called the Lord of the Mountain."

"Lord of the Mountain?" Bazz murmured, crossing his arms as his headtail flicked. "That name sounds familiar."

"Didn't your father once see the Lord as a child?" Mipha asked, setting a hand on Bazz's arm to get his attention.

"You're right! The blue horse, he called it. It has two faces and startles easily."

Two faces? Link asked, tilting his head.

"So it can see potential threats, I imagine," Ganondorf grunted as he held an apple out for Helltrotter to eat. "We'll have to see if the Lord is still there."

"How long do you think it will take to get there?" Zelda asked, pulling herself into Bluebell's saddle.

"Well, the Outskirt Stable is half a day's ride, so we should arrive there by seven tonight. Then….perhaps another four hours to the mountain."

Midnight, Link said. Should we travel so long?

"It depends. If we see the light, we'll go to the mountain." Ganondorf got up onto Helltrotter's saddle. "If not, we'll spend the night at the stable and continue to Tabantha in the morning."

Link appeared disappointed at the idea of not being able to see the Lord of the Mountain.

"Don't be disappointed, Link!" Sidon said, giving a grin. "Surely, the Lord will be there an extra night."

Link smiled at the optimism and nodded.

Zelda looked at the two before glancing at Ganondorf who was already a few feet ahead of them, taking the lead. She spurred Bluebell into a trot to catch up to the redhead. "Gan?"

Ganondorf looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm sorry. About the argument. During the Talus fight?"

"I started it. That was completely out of line for me to insinuate that you were useless. You are not useless, Zelda. Without you, I don't think I would have made it this far."

"It's a bit difficult for all of us. This isn't how things usually go. It will take some time to get used to."

Ganondorf gave a nod. "Well, we'll learn along the way. And if we have any issues, we'll bring it up before an argument starts during a battle."

Zelda gave a laugh. "Deal."


Past the Outpost, Zelda noticed a towering structure that she hadn't before. Hadn't they gone past Hylia Bridge a few times?

She gazed up at the enormous rock wall that rounded out, revealing that it was circular.

Zelda looked at Ganondorf and Link. "Do you guys know what this place is?"

They stopped their horses to stare at the strange section of land.

"Never heard talk of a raised plateau like this..." Mipha murmured.

Ganondorf pulled out his map and glanced it over, looking back at where they had come then where they were going. He shook his head. "It doesn't have a name. It's an empty circular spot on the map."

"Perhaps it's never been visited?" Sidon asked. "Those walls look difficult to climb."

"That's... plausible," Zelda murmured, still staring at the rock walls looming over them.

"If it's not on the map, it's not important," Ganondorf said, folding the map and stuffing it back in his bag. He kicked Helltrotter back into gear.

Zelda continued to gaze at the mysterious plateua as the others continued to walk. After a few minutes, she followed.

Something about that plateau made her intrigued. Perhaps one day they could see what was up there. It had to hold something of upmost importance to be raised so high off the ground.


Just before seven, the group arrived at the Outskirt Stable. They decided to take a small break so they could eat and allow the horses to rest.

While Link went to see what sort of food the stable offered for dinner, Zelda went in search of some treats for the horses.

She approached one of the ranch hands who was spreading out some hay for the rental horses.

"Excuse me, do you have any apples for our horses?"

The woman looked at Zelda and smiled. "Of course! They're over there!"

She pointed to a bucket of apples and Zelda bowed.

"Thank you, miss."

As Zelda grabbed a handful of apples, the ranch hand said, "Do you want to beautify your horse's mane?"

"Beautify?" Zelda asked, looking at the woman.

She nodded. "Of course! I can trim the mane into any style that you like and even add flowers!"

"Oh! Wow, that sounds amazing."

"But!" the woman held up a finger. "I only do horses that love their owner extremely well."

Zelda frowned. She wasn't even sure if Bluebell liked her. Tolerate, probably. But not like.

"I'll bring my horse over and you can see," Zelda decided, heading back over to the horses.

"What were you two talking about?" Ganondorf asked when Zelda returned. He was busy sharpening his swords. "That was a long conversation just for some apples."

"She offered to trim the horse manes and add flowers! I may add flowers."

Ganondorf hummed as he returned to sharpening and polishing his swords. "See if she'll add flowers to Helltrotter's mane."

Helltrotter gave an offended snort, headbutting Ganondorf's shoulder.

"What? Flowers will make you look pretty."

Helltrotter gave his owner the stink eye before taking the offered apples from Zelda.

Zelda patted Helltrotter's nose. "Don't worry. You don't have to get flowers if you don't want to."

Ganondorf rolled his eyes as Helltrotter nuzzled Zelda.

Zelda pulled Bluebell over to the ranch hand and she stared at the horse intently before clapping her hands.

"Oh, this one just adores you! You must be taking good care of this horse."

Zelda thought about what she had done to deserve the horse's affection, but came up blank.

"My name is Canni, by the way. What sort of mane customization do you want?""Oh, flowers."

"Coming right up!"

Link came over and watched as Canni began to weave flowers of multiple colors into Bluebell's mane and tail. He bounced excitedly and went to grab Epona's bridle, pulling her over to Canni.

Me next, me next!

Once Canni had finished working on Bluebell, Zelda returned to Ganondorf while Link got Epona's mane and tail braided.

"Look at how pretty Bluebell is!"

Helltrotter sniffed Bluebell while Ganondorf looked at her.

"Hm. Looks nice."

"I'll see if she can do Helltrotter."

Ganondorf watched as Zelda tugged a resistant Helltrotter over to Canni. He smiled slightly then returned to his sword polishing.

Canni stared at Helltrotter warily before mumbling, "While this horse clearly loves their owner, I don't think he wants me to touch him."

Helltrotter snorted, tossing his head.

Zelda patted Helltrotter's neck. "Please? What other cuts can you do?"

"Uh, Mohawk, braids, long cuts dyed different colors…"

"How about a Mohawk?" Zelda asked, staring at Helltrotter. "Then you can look even more fearsome."

Helltrotter appeared to think about Zelda's suggestion.

"I'll give you extra sugar cubes after dinner."

Helltrotter bobbed his head excitedly and lowered himself to his knees to allow Canni easy access to his mane.

Canni swallowed, eyeing Helltrotter uneasily before slowly moving closer to him.


With their horse's manes all done and dinner in their bellies, the group headed to Satori Mountain.

Even from a distance, the shaft of light was easy to see.

"Do you really think we'll be able to see the Lord of the Mountain?" Zelda asked as they let the horses graze near the base of the mountain.

Ganondorf gave a shrug.

"We'll have to be quiet so we don't spook it," Bazz said. "It startles at the slightest sound."

The group nodded, walking up the path that lead to the top of the mountain. Near the top they dropped down to their hands and knees, crawling until they poked their heads over the ridge.

At the top was a tree with pink leaves and a small pond. Hopping about were a multitude of blue, glowing rabbits. Among them stood a horse-like creature with two owl-like faces and fuzzy antennae atop its head.

"Is that…?" Sidon asked.

"It's the Lord," Bazz whispered.

"It's so gorgeous…" Zelda murmured, watching as the Lord grazed while the Blupee scampered between its hooves.

Shiny, Link signed eagerly.

The Lord lifted its head and looked towards them, antennae standing upright.

The group ducked down quickly to avoid being seen.

The Lord remained still, its antennae vibrating to create a subsonic whistling noise.

Ganondorf could hear the strange noise, glancing over the edge and catching the Lord's eyes.

They stared at each other before Ganondorf slowly stood up and began to approach the Lord.

Zelda gasped and tried to grab him as he left to stop him. "Gan!"

"He's going to scare it away!" Bazz hissed.

The group looked over the ridge to see that the Lord hadn't moved even with Ganondorf standing in front of it.

Ganondorf slowly reached out a hand, setting it against the Lord's neck, eyes flashing a bright gold before going half-lidded. He turned to where the others were hiding.

"Come forward, children. I have been awaiting your arrival."

Zelda glanced at the others before standing up. "Gan?"

"My name is Satori, the guardian of this mountain and the Blupees."

Several Blupee peeked around the Lord's legs, staring at the group warily as they approached.

"Your friend has kindly allowed me to use him to speak to you. I wish to warn you."

"Warn us?" Bazz asked. "Of what?"

"The three wishing to halt the cycle of hatred and darkness, beware the ever-watching eyes in the shadows. They seek to derail your progress."

"The eyes in the shadows?" Zelda murmured, looking at Link who shrugged. "You mean the Sheikah?"

"No. They are more vicious than the noble warriors of Kakariko."

"There's someone else after them?" Mipha asked, frowning in concern.

"There has always been someone after them. These people seek the power that resides within this boy." Ganondorf set a hand against his chest. "And if they obtain it, Hyrule will burn."

How do we know who they are? Link asked.

"Beware the ones of blood and ink."

The Lord stepped backward and Ganondorf dropped his hand, appearing dazed as the Lord disappeared.

The Blupees scattered once their protector had vanished.

Ganondorf sighed as he rubbed his temples. "What'd I miss?"

"The Lord of the Mountain warned us about some…eyes," Zelda muttered.

"Eyes?" Ganondorf repeated, raising an eyebrow.

We don't know either, Link said.

Ganondorf grunted, crossing his arms. "Well, I imagine we may get some answers at the temple we were requested to go to."

"I hope so," Zelda sighed.

She was growing tired of all the cryptic messages they were getting.


After returning to where they had left the horses, the group headed down Satori Mountain and through Nima Plain, crossing over Jeddo Bridge. Just before Ludfo's Bog, they turned right, entering the jaws of white cliff teeth, the Breach of Demise.

When the road branched, they took the northern road that would take them from North Hyrule Plain to Salari Plain where Serenne Stable sat just near the cliffs of Tanagar Canyon.

It took several hours to reach the stable and by sunrise, the group had made it to the stable, exhausted with the lack of sleep.

"We'll be sleeping now, yes?" Sidon asked with a sigh. "That was a long trip."

"My scales are getting dry," Mipha said. "I saw a pond near a hill a ways back."

"I'll accompany you," Bazz offered.

While the two Zora left, Zelda went to get them checked in for the night.

We need warm garb, Link remined.

"Right," Ganondorf murmured. "The Zora won't be able to handle the cold of Hebra without it…."

"If you suggest we remain here," Sidon started but Ganondorf raised a hand to silence him.

"There may be a tailor here who could craft you guys some warm garb so you can follow us."

Sidon seemed sated by the idea, headtail flicking.

After looking around a bit, Ganondorf spotted a traveling tailor and approached them. "Excuse me."

The tailor looked up sharply, squinting at Ganondorf. He eyed the other's clothes, gave an offended sniff, then mumbled, "Yes? What is it?"

"We're going into Tabantha soon and need warm garb for six. Three of them are Zora."

The tailor barked a laugh. "Zora? What idiot would bring Zora into the snows of Hebra?"

"Me, apparently," Ganondorf sighed impatiently. "Can you tailor some warm garb for us?"

Humming, the tailor eyed Ganondorf critically before he smiled. "Yes, of course. I'll need some measurements, naturally. And some payment…."

"How much?"

"Not Rupees." The tailor flapped a hand. "A quest."

Oh boy.

"While crossing the Great Tabantha Bridge, some monsters ambushed me and I dropped my antique needles into the canyon."

"Pity," Ganondorf mumbled. "Fine. We'll find your stupid needles."

The tailor grinned wider, grabbing Ganondorf's hand and shaking it firmly. "The deal is done! I'll have your garb done in a few days."

"A few days?!" Ganondorf squawked. "You can't be serious!"

"You expect me to have magical powers that just poof the garb into existence? No, I have to find the materials and then stitch them together and then—"

Ganondorf held up a hand to stop the tailor's tangent. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his other hand. "Fine….a few days. No more. We're in a bit of a hurry."

The tailor appeared pleased and scurried off.

Ganondorf groaned as he returned to the others.

Sidon was already asleep on one of the beds and the horses had been stripped of their saddles and bridles.

Zelda was busy brushing them while Link worked on an early morning breakfast.

Zelda looked at Ganondorf as he approached. "Did you find a tailor?"

"Yes. But we're stuck here for several days and with a quest."

A quest? Link asked, perking up.

"The guy dropped some old needles into the canyon and wants us to get them for him."

"That doesn't seem too hard," Zelda said. "We're near the canyon anyway and with the few days we have to wait, it wouldn't hurt."

Ganondorf grumbled as he crossed his arms, giving a nod. "Yeah, I suppose you're right…"

I'm sure we can find something to do, Link said. We're not in that much of a hurry.

No, we aren't, Ganondorf admitted internally.

But Rhoam didn't know that.


The heat coming towards him was comparable to the intensity of Death Mountain.

Ganondorf glanced around, noticing that he stood at the edge of Tanagar Canyon.

Whistling wind surrounded him and a great dragon rushed up from the depths of the canyon.

Ganondorf gazed at the dragon in awe as it looped up into the air before arching downward until it landed near Ganondorf, body coiled around the redhead.

"Dinraal," Ganondorf breathed, staring at the great fire dragon.

Dinraal's red crest of curved horns lit up the night like a blazing fire, smoke exhaling through his nostrils.

"Good evening, young king," Dinraal murmured. "Naydra mentioned you would be here at her behest."

"You were waiting for me, too."
Dinraal dipped his head. "To meet Din's chosen one is an honor. Especially when this cycle diverges from the cycles before."

"Because…I'm not evil?"

"Nor are you a king. You are a teenager with your best friends on a quest for a peaceful life."

Ganondorf dropped his gaze. "I'm trying my best."

"The darkness ever surrounding you will not release its claws, young one. You can either let it drag you or fight it. That will show what kind of person you are." Dinraal turned his head, staring down into Tanagar Canyon. "Be wary of the temple. Sheikah have installed strange machinations to prevent thieves."

"Strange machinations?" Ganondorf repeated, looking down into the canyon and spotting a long roof nestled at the back of the canyon.

That was the temple they had to go to, he imagined.

"You will receive all your answers there," Dinraal said, shaking his head to dislodge a scale which floated into Ganondorf's hands.

Warmth flowed through the scale and into Ganondorf, making him feel relaxed.

"Good luck, young one!" Dinraal called as he pushed off the ground, soaring into the air before diving into the canyon.

"Gan!"

Ganondorf's eyes snapped open and he turned at the voice to see Zelda and the others running towards him.

A pulsing warmth drew his attention to his hands where he held onto Dinraal's scale. Then he noticed that he was standing at the edge of the canyon.

Had that…been a dream? Why was he out by the canyon?

Are you all right? Link asked as the group stopped by Ganondorf.

"Uh….I think?" Ganondorf showed the scale. "I got Dinraal's scale. I don't remember how I got here though."

"We all took a nap," Mipha said. "When we woke up, you were gone."

"Some of the people at the stable said they saw you heading to the canyon," Zelda said. "What happened?"

"Dinraal spoke to me. I thought it was a dream."

"Apparently not," Sidon murmured. "How strange. A dream that's not a dream."

"A vision?" Bazz asked.

Ganondorf shook his head, gazing down into the canyon as he pocketed the scale. He pointed to the roof of the temple. "That's where we have to go."

"What temple is that?" Sidon asked. "I've never heard mention of a temple in Tanagar."

"That is the Forgotten Temple," Zelda said. "It used to be a place of worship but after a while, people forgot about it. Hence the name."

"That temple is our answer to the scales and what we're doing," Ganondorf muttered. "We're going down there."

How? Link asked. Climb down?

"That's a death wish," Bazz said. "We can't climb that well."

Ganondorf thought about it, remembering that he had looked at the canyon on the map and there was a sloping entrance. "We'll go towards Illumeni Plateau. Past it, there should be an entrance to the canyon."

"Won't that take a while?" Mipha asked.

"We have a few days while the tailor works." Ganondorf gave a shrug as he grinned. "Besides, we need to get his dumb needles anyway."