Chapter 50: Faron in the Era of the Hero of Time

Link woke up early the next morning. He quickly ate breakfast before writing a note for the Guardians that he was heading to the Faron Woods. He walked out into the courtyard and took flight into the nearby wood and found a world gate. It had markings resembling the light spirit Faron.

"Where are you going, bro?" Sparx asked.

"The Faron Woods," Link replied. "I undoubtedly guess that Cynder and the others have the Hero of Time with them. They'll be safe. Faron needs my protection at the moment."

Sparx nodded in understanding as Link entered the vortex.

He emerged in the Faron Woods. The rainforest was quiet. Even though there was no one he could see at the moment, Link knew that RainWings could just be camouflaged into the surroundings. He spread his wings and flew off toward the village. As he looked back at the gate, he remembered the day he discovered his dragon form. His transformation, Ilia's terror, him nearly killing himself, Moonwatcher showing up and reading his mind to prevent him from doing that, meeting Queen Glory, and him learning to fly...

While he was preoccupied, he felt something-a RainWing blow dart-hit him in the neck. Link knew the sensation of being hit by blow darts all too well. He learned how to fly from the RainWings. On his days off from working at the ranch, he was tasked with teaching dragonets how to use their blow guns.

"I know you're there, RainWing," he called. "Even though I can't see you, you are nearby. Hearing my every word." His vision began to blur as he collapsed onto the forest floor.

He opened his eyes to find himself in a realm of dreams. The area he was in was rather unfamiliar. He was standing on a stone platform suspended above a void of nothingness, with triplet moons hanging in the distance. At first, he thought he was back in the realm of Convexity, but it wasn't quite the same. The stonework was very similar to that of the Dragon Temple and there were bookshelves in the distance. Smaller fragments of rock floated past like clouds.

"I'm guessing that you have summoned me, Chronicler?" he asked. "I'm not afraid."

"That is very astute of you, young dragon," a voice replied. It sounded different from the Chronicler of his era. Link reasoned that this era's Chronicler was someone else entirely.

"I have summoned you here so you might be warned," the voice continued. "The Celestial moons are counting down and time is running out."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Link asked. "If you're talking about the Night of Eternal Darkness, I know that already."

Suddenly, familiar whispers erupted from the void, alternately calling out to him and warning him away. The whispers grew in intensity. The intensity soon became so much that Link covered his ears in frustration.

"Make it stop!" he shouted. "My ears can't bear any more assault!"

As soon as he said those words, the whispers were silenced. In fact, everything around him slowed to a crawl. The spinning beam of light before him was now moving at a pace that allowed him to cross to another floating platform. Once he set foot on the platform, everything started moving normally again.

"Now I am freaked out now," Link stated. "What just happened?"

"The race of purple dragons can wield many abilities that others can not, including time itself," the Chronicler stated. "Learning to master this ability, and you will be able to see things almost before they happen. But... use this gift sparingly, only when circumstances demand it. Manipulation of time is not to be done without utmost care."

Link nodded in understanding. "I understand," he stated. "I am from the future, after all." He used his new found power to cross the rock fragments and more floating islands. Soon, he glided down to a large island blocked by a fiery barrier. At the center of the island sat a pool that was similar to the Pool of Visions at the Dragon Temple. As he approached the pool, the Chronicler's voice spoke again.

"You have seemed to have abandoned your true calling," the Chronicler stated. "It is your destiny to harness the powers of the elements. Yet, you possess not. The only one you do possess is wind."

"I haven't been able to harness those abilities for some time now," Link replied. "Though I already know it is my fate to liberate Malefor from Demise's power."

"Yes," the Chronicler stated. "Right now, your powers lay dormant within you. Let's see if we might not awaken them..."

Link stepped up to the pool. As he did, a fiery light glowed around his body. He closed his eyes and focused on the Chronicler's voice as he spoke. "Clear your mind, young drake, and feel the fire that flows through your veins. Allow its energy consume you, and breathe with it. Now rise up... and release the firestorm within you!"

As he finished, Link felt a powerful heat passing through him. He unleashed an elemental fury and obliterated the barrier. He opened his eyes and realised that the fiery aura that encompassed him was blazing fiercely, but he didn't feel burned.

"Excellent," the Chronicler stated. "You are a natural. But now that a primal fire rages through you, show me you have command of it."

Link smirked as he set off onto a new island on which stood four statues. As he drew closer, the statues came to life and charged at him. Link dodged an attack from one before assuming human form, drawing a sword and harnessed fire through the blade to annihilate the statues. On the next island, three more statues drew their blades and growled. This time, Link charged at them, fiery energy encompassing him, sending the statues flying.

Further along, he came across three torches in front of a locked door. Link lit them with his fire, opening the way to an arena. As he reached the center of the area, he was suddenly surrounded by statues which he fought off with the skills that his ancestor had taught him. He eventually felt elemental fury energy build up and he reduced the statues so molten lava.

He reached a building much like the temple and entered to find another pool into which they peered down, hearing the Chronicler's voice again. "You have done well, and now it is time for you to return. But be careful. The enemy approaches."

"Ganondorf?" he asked.

"Yes, young Hero," the Chronicler replied. "Seek me out."

The last thing Link saw before the world around them faded into blackness was a large tree in the middle of a swampy grove.

Link opened his eyes to find himself on a wooden platform. He looked around and saw the familiar surroundings of the RainWing village. He spotted a bright pink RainWing staring at him.

"Who are you?" the RainWing asked. "You are a rather peculiar dragon. How did you know we used the dart on you?"

Link chuckled. This must be Glory's half brother Jambu, as seen with the bright pink scales.

"My name is Link," he stated. "I am from the future. Where is the Grandeur? I need to speak to her. The fate of the world is at stake."

"The world?" Jambu asked. "That must be urgant. Why do you need to speak with Grandeur? Wouldn't Magnificent be queen this month?"

Link looked at him, appalled. "I was told that Magnificent is lazy and forgetful. She doesn't care about other dragons. Anyway, I have seen Castle Town. It is in ruins. The dead walk the streets and the King of Evil reigns with an iron fist. The Demon King's hate boils at the moment. His forces approach as we speak."

Jambu nodded.

For the next two weeks, Link traveled through the village, recruiting RainWings to the cause of defending their home from the demons that Ganondorf commanded. The RainWings in question had no problem with reducing the undead into puddles of goo.

The real problem was the lizard monsters from Death Mountain known as Lizalfos and Dinalfos, for they resembled dragons. Some of them even had wings like dragons that were known as Aeralfos.

Link was in the line for meeting with Magnificent when Glory, Cynder, Tsunami, Clay, Sunny, and Starflight landed behind him. They were accompanied by another SeaWing and the Hero of Time, of whom was on Glory's back. Cynder had seven eggs in her talons. Four of them were the purple of amethyst, one was as red as rubies, another was as pink as Jambu's scales, the sixth one was as black as Cynder's scales, and the final one was a pale blue with white swirls.

Cynder's eyes widened as a smile crept across her face. "Spyro!" she exclaimed. "You're alive! I would have thought the worst has happened..."

Link smiled. "It'll take a swarm of the undead within a condemned prison to be rid of him," Midna stated sarcastically.

"How was SeaWing territory?" Link asked.

Tsunami approached Link. "You didn't tell us that Cynder-"

"It's my fault, Tsunami," Cynder stated. "I asked him to." She turned to Link. "Tsunami had a guy fawning over her within minutes," Cynder laughed.

Link looked at Tsunami. "You had what?" he asked.

"It was a misunderstanding, I swear, Spyro," Tsunami replied. "I didn't know that the SeaWings had their own language."

Link nodded. "That is understandable, Tsunami," he replied as he looked back at Cynder. "I'm guessing that you encountered Blister, then?" he asked.

"And she cowered at the sight of me for some reason," Cynder replied. "One of their old protectors showed up. His name is Webs."

Link looked at the other SeaWing. He knew that he was the one that stole the egg that housed Tsunami from Queen Coral. He looked in a very pitiful condition. "You can come in when I report on Ganondorf's movements," Link replied. "The King of Evil has been sending some hinox into the forest the past few days. We'll catch up later."

While Link was talking with the others, he noticed Glory talking with the other RainWings in line. When she began talking to a RainWing with purple scales named Mangrove, however, the other RainWings in the line began to comment about him being obsessive about the disappearance of his partner in fruit gathering, Orchid. She had been missing for three weeks.

"She's most likely taking a really long nap somewhere," a RainWing suggested.

"Three. Weeks." Mangrove elaborated.

"Or maybe she was kidnapped by Ganondorf so he could interrogate her about where Hylian Princess is," the Hero of Time suggested as he was perched on Glory's shoulder. "He is obsessed with finding Princess Zelda at the moment."

Link sighed. If he hadn't been so busy with protecting the village from attacks from Ganondorf's forces, Orchid wouldn't have disappeared. "Last I checked, no monster that entered the rainforest left in a condition to abduct a RainWing from under my nose," Link stated. "And all the monsters that I encountered three weeks ago weren't big enough to carry a RainWing off. Eat one, if there was a big group of them. But I highly doubt that monsters would go for a dragon when there is easier game to find and hunt."

"How many other RainWings have disappeared," Glory asked Mangrove.

"At least twelve in the past year, including Orchid," Mangrove replied.