Before I start this chapter, I need to clarify something. Due to the fact that the events of the Legend of Spyro trilogy happens during the seven year gap between the child and adult portions of Ocarina of Time and I am doing scenarios similar to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban with the methods of time travel from the Legend of Zelda franchise, the Hero of Time (Link from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask) post Majora's Mask will be appearing in this chapter, as the chapter title states. For the sake of avoiding confusion, I will be referring the Hero of Time as Young Link. Characters will still call him Link, though.

Now then, on with the chapter!

Chapter 49: The Hero of Time

Cynder was woken by the rhythmic crashing of waves against the shore. The recent happenings came back to her with surprising clarity; Farsight, the third prophecy and the fact that she'd been washed into the sea and saved by Tsunami.

She opened her eyes groggily and then shut them promptly, momentarily blinded by the harsh glare of the setting sun. She tilted her head away and tried to get up. She couldn't.

She glanced down at the heavy iron shackles encircling her legs and around at the ape soldiers that were also chaining down the dragonets as they slept. She cursed. They must've caught up with them while they were sleeping.

She lashed her bladed tail in frustration, managing to strike a soldier in the boot. The ape yelped and fell back, clutching his foot and swearing. Another two soldiers dragged him out of her reach before she was able to do any more permanent damage.

Another ape grasped her roughly by her horns and yanked her head back, staying carefully out of reach of her tailblade and wingblades. His bulk and finely-wrought plate armor told Cynder he was at least a squadron leader if not a full-fledged commander and not a foe to be underestimated. "Listen, you blasted dragon," he growled. "I lost a lot of good Apes tracking you down through that storm. My orders are to take you back to King Gaul alive but if you try anything, even look at one of my apes wrong, and I'll be the first one to put a sword through you. You got that?"

Cynder chuckled cynically. "I bet you wouldn't dare to talk down to the Goddess Hylia that way," she retorted. "And guess what, you did!"

The commander took a few shocked steps back as Cynder closed her eyes once more. She felt ghostly hands and feet against the ground while her body crumpled. Standing over her body stood an aetherial, ghostly Cynder, her eyes glowing with divine light.

"Leave me and my friends alone," she declared. "Or lest there be more bloodshed!"

The commander raised his fist to strike at her face. She waited to see if he would dare hit her. She waited patiently.

But it never came. "Huh?" the ape grunted, glancing over his shoulder at the gloved hand that caught his arm. The next thing Cynder knew, there was a sword sticking out of his shoulder! Had someone somehow come to rescue her? Had Link followed her?

The ape bellowed in pain and stumbled away, clutching at his wounded shoulder and Cynder got a better look at his attacker. It was a being identical to Link when he put on that mask in Munitions Forge, only the hair was parted differently.

"Spyro?" she asked.

The man turned to face Cynder, tears streaming down his face. "Cynder?" he asked. "Is that you?"

His voice didn't sound like Spyro's. It sounded younger. And his eyes were completely white. It wasn't Link, but he recognized her somehow.

"Who are you?" Cynder asked.

"I'll answer that later," the warrior replied, hefting the gigantic greatsword that he used to injure the commander.

"What in Tartarus!" the ape commander swore. "Blasted Hylian! Kill him! Hack him to bits! Make him suffer!"

All ten apes rushed at him, blades and spears raised and war-cries issuing forth. Her heart sank. Well it wasn't Link but at least it was a distraction. Her ethereal form faded as she opened her eyes and began trying to slip free of the manacles.

In response to the charging, roaring apes, the Hylian simply tilted his head to one side and sighed in annoyance. "You guys never learn to not mess with the Hero of Time, do you?"

He lunged forward, slashing his sword. Beams similar to a Skyward Strike erupted from the blade.

Arrogance turned to horror as the apes, so sure of their victory, were suddenly inundated in a sea of energy beams from the sword. Their charge came to a screeching halt as they ran in all directions, fleeing away from the beams. The dreadwings nearby took off in fear.

But the Hylian was merciless as he hefted his blade to slash the apes to ribbons. The Hylian kept his assault on the apes until all of them were dead.

The ape commander stood speechless for a moment, staring in disbelief as ten fully-armed and armored apes fell like dominos. Then, he made a call to his own dreadwing a few feet away.

The Hylian warrior suddenly pulled out a bow and fired, an arrow with a small bomb at the end was launched into the air. It struck the ape in the back and it exploded, the ape screaming in pain as he perished in the inferno with his dreadwing.

The hylian reached up to his face and ripped it off as if it were a mask. There was a bright light. When it faded, a young boy clad in green stood before her.

"My name is Link," the Hero of Time stated. "I know you because of events that are yet to happen. The last I saw you, you sacrificed yourself for me and enabled me to defeat Ganon."

Cynder's eyes widened in realization. "So you are this Hero of Time character that Spyro talks about," she stated. "You said so yourself."

Young Link nodded. "I was sleeping inland when your friends showed up," he stated. "And when those apes showed up, I can't let you die."

Cynder smiled back. "And I'm immensely grateful for that, Link," she replied. She noticed that the Hero ran about picking up key rings from the dead apes. He ran back to Cynder just as Clay roused from his slumber.

"What's happened?" he asked as he tried to stretch, but realized that he was chained up. "What the?" He looked around to see that everyone was chained up.

"Don't worry, Clay," Cynder stated. "Apes caught up to us in our sleep, but the Hero of Time saved us from becoming shishkebab."

Clay nodded in understanding as the chains that were attached to Cynder fell away.

"Thank you, Link," Cynder stated. "Will you work on helping my friends out as well?"

Young Link nodded as he gave Cynder some of the keys. Eventually all the chains came loose.

Clay got to his feet. "Thank you," he stated.

The Hero of Time chuckled. "That is what I do, help people." He pulled out some firewood and Clay lit it.

"One good deed deserves another," Clay stated.

Young Link smiled. "Thank you," he replied. He looked at Cynder. "Don't you have something to tell your friends, Cynder?" She looked around to see that the others were rousing from their slumber.

Clay gave Cynder a worried look. "What is he talking about?" he asked.

Cynder looked down at the ground, worry crossing her face. What would Clay's reaction be like?

She swallowed her fear and looked into Clay's eyes. "You know that due to recent nightmares that I have been having, Ignitus changed the room assignments so I can share a room with Spyro," she stated

Clay nodded in understanding. "Just like while you were recovering from your injuries," he replied.

"Two nights ago, I asked Spyro to..." she stopped, blushing furiously. "I asked him to claim me as his mate."

Clay's jaw hit the ground like a boulder crushing a bulblin. "Aren't you a little young for that, Cynder?"

"Who is saying that Cynder is too young for what?" Sunny asked as she stretched, her scales gleaming in the morning sun.

"I'm gravid," Cynder admitted.

Sunny gasped. "Who's the father?" she asked. "Spyro?"

Cynder nodded. "Spyro is the father," she stated.

Sunny smiled broadly. "Congratulations, Cynder!" she exclaimed. "You'll make a great mother."

Cynder looked at the ground. "I hope so, Sunny," she replied. "But based off of my mother's behavior concerning my egg, it's not likely..."