The hairs on the back of Link's neck stood on end.

"What's the matter?" Rio smiled. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Yeah, Link," asked Malon with bitterness. "What is the matter?"

"What's her problem?" Navi rolled her eyes.

"My problem," Malon leaned in close to Navi. "Is that my wonderful brother here left me to do all the work for our ranch by myself!"

"I had something I needed to do."

"What did you have to do that was so important?"

"…I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"I promised not to tell."

"That's not fair! I deserve to know where you went! For all I know, you walked out on me!"

"I didn't, I promise! I just lost track of time!"

"You didn't even leave a letter, or give me a heads-up or anything! You just left and didn't tell me where you were going! What if something bad happened to you?! If someone mugged you or you got lost, Dad and I wouldn't be able to find you! You would've been lost in the city forever with no one to help you! Is what you were doing so important that it couldn't have waited until after we at least moved the boxes?!"

"Yes."

Blindsided, Malon was forced to drop her voice and change her method.

"Link, did you go to the Temple of Time to search through the archives?"

"No."

"'No?' What do you mean, 'no?!'"

"I went to the Temple of Time, Malon, but not for me. I went for another reason that I can't say."

"You're the last person I ever expected to keep a secret from me!"

"What about you? Of all people, I can't believe you let this guy help you!"

"That's harsh, dude." Rio frowning innocently. "And here I thought we were friends."

"You're NOT my friend!"

"Don't take it out on him! This isn't about him, it's about you! At least he helped me while you were gone! What's gotten into you?!"

"He lied, Malon! He didn't help us, he made us look like idiots!"

"What are you talking about?!"

"There is no war, Malon!"

"What? No war?" Malon's face changed from anger to confusion.

"He came to the ranch with a fake declaration! It was all a joke!"

"Rio, is that true?"

"Yeah," he grinned sheepishly. "I pulled a fast one, just like he said."

Rio stood up, grasped Malon's hands, and looked deep into her eyes.

"But if I'd known that a such pretty girl like you lived on that ranch, I would've thought twice."

'Oh come on!"

"At least he's sorry, which is more than I can say for you!"

"Look, I'm sorry I missed helping with the boxes, okay? I had something to do!"

"Which you won't even tell me about! For all I know, you're lying and really did go to the Temple of Time to find records of your parents!"

"Parents?" thought Navi.

"I didn't, I swear!"

"Quit lying!"

"I'm not!"

"Maybe I should go?" Rio scratched the back of his neck as he made his way for the door.

"No!" Malon grabbed his arm. "You're going with us, Rio!"

"What?"

"Not that I mind accompanying a lovely lady such as yourself, but pray tell, where are we going?"

"We need someone to show us around the city for the best places to spend the New Year. Since you helped us get our work done, and you told me it's your day off, the least we can do is treat you. Link's paying."

"I'm what?!"

"It's the least you can do, since he did your job."

Malon snatched a wallet from the bar counter and tossed it casually up and down in her hand.

"Hey! That's–"

"You've got 400 Rupees right here all saved up, so I'm sure you can afford breakfast for three people."

"Aww man!"

Malon threw the wallet at Link. It hit him in the chest as he caught it.

"Now hurry up and take a bath so we can go. Seriously, did you swim to the Temple of Time or something?"

"You have no idea."

Link walked up the stairs to their room, his wallet in tow.

"You didn't have to cover for me," Navi whispered.

"It's okay."

"She's your sister, right? You could've just told her."

"I promised to keep it a secret. If I told her I was looking for the Hero of Time, she'd probably yell at me even more. I'll tell her later when she's not mad at me, and when Rio's not around."

"Who is that Rio guy anyway?"

"He's the one who came to the ranch and gave us that fake declaration of war. The one I told Telma and the others about."

"…Do you think he might be an unknown soldier like Wallace?"

"I think so, but even if he isn't, I don't like him."

"I can tell."

"I knew I recognized one of the voices in my dream, but now I remember; it was his."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and I didn't say anything earlier, but remember that guy Agahnim we met in the temple?"

"How could I forget? That guy was scary."

"I heard his voice in my dream, too."

"That's three people, and two of them you hadn't even met before."

"Three people so far. There were a lot more."

"What do Chancellor Cole, Agahnim, and Rio all have in common that they would degrade you in your dream? Isn't it weird that you've met all of them within such a short amount of time?"

"I don't know. For all it's worth, it's just a stupid dream."

"Are you sure you didn't hear Wallace's voice in your dream, too?"

"No. I'm pretty sure I'd remember him."

After a quick bath and change of clothes, Link met Rio and Malon downstairs.

"Let's go!" Malon cried. "I wanna see the city!"

"Yeah, this is a real dream come true."

"Don't worry, pal." Rio swung his arm around Link's shoulders. "I'll show both of you the best day in Hyrule City ever."

"Navi, don't say this out loud, but what's with this guy? He's been standing here grinning like an idiot this whole time."

"Beats me."

"Um, Navi. I'm over here."

"Huh? But you're right here."

Navi hovered over Rio's head.

"No, Navi, that's Rio. I'm here."

Navi drifted over to Link.

"Sorry, but you two are exactly the same."

"No we aren't! I've got blond hair, and his is brown, plus his clothes are way darker than mine."

"I can't really tell. As far as I'm concerned you both look exactly alike."

"What do you mean, 'you can't tell?'"

"The energy you both give off is so similar that it's confusing me. I don't really know how else to explain it."

"You do look eerily similar," Malon pointed out. "The only real differences are your hair and eye color. I bet if you were wearing the same clothes, you'd look even more like one another."

Rio slapped Link's back and laughed, "He's just my brother from another mother!"

"C'mon!" Malon exclaimed. "Let's go and explore the city!"

"To tell the truth, I'd rather just go back to bed."

"No can do, Link. We've dreamed about Hyrule City since we were kids! There's no way I'm gonna miss out seeing it for myself!"

"Plus," Navi whispered in Link's ear. "This is a good chance for us to find the Hero of Time. He's here somewhere in the city."

"That's true. We'd better keep an eye out."

After a quick visit by Link to check on Epona in the stables, the four of them set out into the city. The morning was still young, yet people by the hundreds already filled the streets, crowding against and shoving past one another. Open-air shops and booths were set up along the paved stone roads outside the high buildings. Festival music filled the air as they passed by stands selling every festival food imaginable; barbeque cucco wings, teriyaki kabobs, dried Octorok jerky, pastries drizzled in syrups, and frozen creams and yogurts were only a few of the entrees made available. The tempting smells of the deep-fried, beer-battered, and chocolate-covered treats wafted through the air and made Link's stomach rumble.

"What's wrong?" Malon asked as Link clutched his stomach.

"So hungry…"

"So am I," Navi clung desperately to Link's shirt. "We haven't even had any breakfast yet."

"That's what we're doing," Rio laughed. "The festival food here is some of the best in the world. It's a little pricey, but totally worth it. They give out free samples so you can try before you buy."

"Don't forget, Link. You're paying."

"I know, I know."

Despite being forced to treat the others, Link couldn't deny that Rio made good on his guarantee; the oily, fatty foods of the festival were so indulgently delicious that all four of them couldn't help pigging out. Unfortunately for Link, it took its toll on his wallet size.

"Man, a hundred rupees out the window on just food! Who charges twelve rupees for one bacon-wrapped hot dog? Seriously!"

"Don't worry, Link," Malon reassured him. "Souvenirs for the festival won't cost as much. I bet you'll still have plenty of money left over by the time we go home tomorrow."

"Wait, we're leaving tomorrow? Already?! We just got here!"

"We can't stay forever. This was a business trip, remember? Besides, the short amount of time we have left should only convince you to have as much fun as you can! Let's go see what else is here!"

"I can show you guys some of the carnival games," Rio pointed down a wide street, on which huge colored tents had been set up.

"No thanks, I'd rather not waste more money."

"Aww, c'mon Link," Malon pleaded. "I'll pay for a few games since you were a good sport and bought our breakfast for us."

"Oh fine."

As they began toward the tents, they passed an empty road blocked off by neon-orange markers.

"Why is this street blocked off?" Navi asked.

"That's where the parade will be," Rio announced. "We can come back and watch later this afternoon."

"Is that where the Royal Precession will come through?" Malon asked excitedly.

"It sure is," Rio answered enthusiastically. "We'll be able to see the Royal Family in person."

"Let's come back here when it does! I wanna see Princess Zelda!"

"How come your so nervous, Link?" Navi fluttered down onto Rio's shoulder.

"Navi, I'm not nervous, and I'm over here. That's Rio again."

"Sorry, sorry!" She cried as she jumped off Rio's shoulder and onto Link's. "I'm getting so confused!"

"No problem," Rio smiled, then paced faster toward the carnival tents.

"Navi, can you hear Rio's thoughts?"

"Are you kidding? I keep listening to both of your thoughts because I can't tell who's who."

"Can you tell me what he's thinking?"

"You better not start asking me what everyone's thinking! Don't be rude!"

"I promise I won't, but I don't buy that 'prank' bull Rio gave us. If he's an unknown soldier and up to something, I wanna know what it is."

"I can try, but you have to be quiet so I don't get confused. No thinking anything, okay?"

"All right."

Link cleared his mind and dropped behind the others while Navi stared as hard as she could at Rio, who walked arm in arm with Malon.

"Well? What's he–"

"Shh! Quiet."

Several minutes went by before Navi groaned in exasperation.

"He won't think anything," she sighed. "He knows I can read thoughts so he's cleared his mind completely. No one is that good at stopping their thoughts."

"Sounds suspicious enough to me."

"I can tell you what he was thinking earlier if you want."

"Shoot."

"Well, he's really nervous like I said earlier."

"It doesn't look like he's nervous. He looks calmer than me."

"He's not nervous like he's afraid, either. He's excited, and I mean really, really excited."

"What do you mean?"

"Earlier he was thinking of things like 'I'm tired of waiting,' and 'I want him now.'"

"What do you mean? Who's 'him?'"

"It gets really creepy. He kept saying over and over again, 'I want his blood.'"

"Okay, that's just gross. And he snapped at me because he thought I was queer."

"That's not even the worst part, Link. I think he means you."

"What?!"

Link flinched and tripped on a loose stone in the path. When he fell forward, he caught Rio in his fall. The two collapsed heavily onto the stone road. Both boys groaned.

"Ow…"

"Link!" Malon exclaimed. "What're you doing?!"

Link open his eyes, and found he was lying on top of Rio.

"Have a nice trip there, pal?"

Poor Link shoved himself off Rio so fast, his reaction resembled that of a violently startled cat.

"Are you okay?" Malon reached out and lifted Rio up by his arm.

"Yeah it's cool," he replied calmly, brushing himself off. "Accidents happen, right?"

"Wrong," Navi whimpered quietly to Link. "He might be able to block me from hearing his thoughts, but he can't hide his feelings. You have no idea how mad you made him."

She shivered as she ducked into Link's shirt.

"He's so angry I think he'd hurt somebody if he really wanted to…"

Link realized then just how close Malon was standing to Rio.

"We have to ditch this guy."

"But how? What do we do?"

"I don't know, but I'll think of something. Let's just be careful for now."

He got back on his feet, marched straight toward Rio and Malon and pushed himself between the two.

"Hey!" Malon yelled as she was shoved. "What's the big–"

He pointed to the carnival tents.

"Let's hurry," Rio said cheerily. "The lines for the games get long real fast."

Link made absolute sure to walk in between Rio and Malon the whole time, and the carnival tents grew bigger and brighter as they approached. Many of the tents were big enough only for the few people who ran them from the inside, but some were pitched to stand thirty feet high to hold crowds inside. The bright fluorescent colors of the tents popped out at them, each one declaring a game of its own.

"What's in there?"

Malon pointed to a large purple tent. A red flag decorated the entrance.

"Why don't we find out?" Rio pointed the way as the others approached the tent. Just as they came to the opening flap of the tent, Link felt a heavy shove to his back and fell a second time onto the stone path.

"Geez, Link," Malon sighed as she knelt down to help him up. "You're just not good at walking today, are you?"

"You okay there, buddy?" Rio asked. Link pot a fake smile on as he nodded.

"That's good. Wouldn't want you getting hurt, would we?"

Rio's voice cracked as he spoke, and in that crack Link heard a tinge of jeering. A lead weight dropped in his stomach.

"Link," Navi hissed in his ear. "Rio's really scaring me! Let's get out of here, please!"

"I can't leave Malon alone with Rio. Just try to relax, okay?"

"Okay, but I'm starting to feel like I did in the Temple of Time. So much evil…"

"Let's go in already!"

Malon grabbed both boys by their arms and dragged them into the tent. They were treated to an odd spectacle inside. People sat in seats that were set up along the walls of the tent and faced the center where a tall metal cage was assembled.

"What is this place?" Malon asked as she looked around. "Is this some kind of circus?"

"IT'S NO CIRCUS, LITTLE LADY!" An amplified voice boomed throughout the tent. "BUT I PROMISE THE FUN IS JUST AS FANTASTIC!"

A drum roll played as spotlights ricocheted back and forth along the walls and ceiling. When the lights landed on a man standing on the top of the cage, the roll ended and cymbals crashed.

"Someone's gonna play the game!" A voice whispered, and everyone in the audience turned to face Malon, Link, and Rio.

"Game? What game?"

"WHY, THE STAR GAME OF COURSE!"

The man jumped from the cage and flipped several times in the air before landing squarely on his feet directly in front of them. He was dressed in a flashy green outfit decorated with jingle bells.

"My name is Purlo, and I'm the ring master for the STAR game!"

"What's the star game?"

"No no! Not the 'star' game. The 'STAR' game! You gotta say it right!"

"All right, what's the STAR game?"

"The STAR game is simply this."

As he spoke, Purlo reached into his back pocket and pulled out a handful of colorful orbs. When he squeezed them, they lit up and hovered.

"Wow!" Malon gleamed. "They're beautiful!"

The orbs shot away before they could get a good look and flew into the cage, where they bounced against the metal grating and each other before halting in midair.

"You must collect the stars in the cage within a certain amount of time by using one of these!"

An object dropped out of the ceiling toward them. Link covered his head and ducked, but it landed safely in Purlo's hand. It appeared to be a contraption; a metal hook was attached to a spring-loaded trigger by a long coiled chain within the mechanism.

"With this clawshot, you must grapple your way up into the cage and grab as many of the stars as you possibly can! If you can get all of them within 30 seconds, you'll win a fabulous prize!"

"You should try it!" Rio shoved Link forward. "I bet you'd win no problem!"

"What's the prize if we win?" Malon asked.

"The prize for winning is one of these!"

Another object dropped out of the ceiling and landed in Purlo's other hand.

"A piece of heart! Historians tell us that the Legendary Hero would often collect these in his endeavors to grow stronger! In honor of his legend, we've recreated these hearts to give them away as prizes in our games! The first try is free!"

"I guess I can give it a try."

Link nodded.

"Splendid! The lad has accepted the challenge!"

The audience clapped, and several of the girls in the crowd cried in joy.

"Right this way, please! Take this!"

Purlo stuffed the clawshot into Link's hand and pulled open the cage's gate. He walked warily inside, and the gate slammed shut behind him.

"You have 30 seconds to nab as many of the stars as you can! Get on your mark!"

"Wait wait! How do I use this thing?!"

"Get set!"

"Do I press this button here or something?"

"GO!"

The starting horn went off just as Link pressed the trigger on the clawshot. He flew to the other side of the cage.

"WHAA!"

Two stars burst as he flew past them and collided face first into the grating on the other side. The audience laughed at his clumsy expense.

"Ow…"

"20 seconds left!" Purlo called.

"Quit dawdling!" Malon called.

"Right, right."

He grabbed hold of the grating behind him with his free hand as he aimed the clawshot at another set of stars. He fired, flew to the other side, and caught four more stars. Screams of amazement came up from the female members of the audience as he landed this time with his feet on the wall.

"15 seconds left!"

"There's only a few left!"

Link shot back to the other side and landed on the ceiling of the cage. Hanging upside down, he looked toward the ground and saw one star left.

"10 seconds left!"

"You can do it!" The girls in the audience cried out.

"Hurry!" Malon called.

Link squinted and aimed carefully with the clawshot at the last star.

"5 seconds!"

The audience counted down along with Purlo, and Link fired.

"3! 2! 1!"

He zipped into the last star just as the buzzer went off. A mild cheering rose from the crowd.

"Congratulations! Come on out and receive your prize!"

The gate opened automatically and Link stumbled dizzily out of the cage. Purlo pressed the piece of heart into Link's hand as he staggered past.

Link's dizziness, as well as his soreness from tripping twice, dissolved instantly at the cool touch of the piece of heart. As the piece seeped into the palm of his hand, a collective gasp erupted from the audience.

"How did he do that?!"

"The pieces of heart are just decorations, aren't they?"

"They're not supposed to be real!"

"Job well done!" Purlo clapped his hands, then put them on his hips. "Now, what say we make things a little more interesting?"

"More interesting than that obstacle course?"

"The rules are simple."

Purlo pulled twice as many stars out his back pocket this time, and they flew into the cage.

"This time around, you and one of your friends must work together to collect all the stars in the cage. You will only have 15 seconds this time, but if you fail, the consequences are dire."

Purlo snapped his fingers. At the sound, sharp spikes tore out of the ground in the cage.

"What the heck kind of game is this?!"

"It'll cost you 20 Rupees to play this round. If you win, you'll get your Rupees back, plus another piece of heart and a secret prize!"

"Let's do this!" Rio jumped up from his seat, ran down to the cage, and leaned his elbow on Link's shoulder.

"What? No! I don't wa–"

"It's settled! These two young men are going to take on the second challenge together!"

"I'm not sure I want to be locked in a cage with him…"

"The spikes will be removed so you can start the game, then once you both have fired your clawshots, they'll be replaced. Got it, boys?"

"Got it," Rio grinned confidently.

"No! I don't!."

They entered the cage a second time and stood back to back.

"I don't like this…"

"Don't worry, man. You lead the way."

"On your marks! Get set!"

The horn blazed a second time, and Link fired his clawshot toward one side of the wall. As he zipped up, Rio fired his in the opposite direction. They both collected several stars on their way, and Link heard the spikes rising out of the ground beneath him.

"10 seconds, boys!"

"Come on, guys! You can do it!"

Link looked over his shoulder at a long row of stars above him. He fired his second clawshot and collected every last one on his way. As Link zipped up, Rio mirrored him exactly as he fired in the polar direction and collected the exact number of stars at the same time.

"Is he…copying me?"

"5 seconds!"

The audience counted down, and both boys fired up toward the ceiling to collect the last two lines of stars. The hooks of their clawshots latched onto one another, and as Rio and Link zipped upward at the same time, they collided hard into each other.

The buzzer blared, the hooks gave way, and both boys fell to the spiked ground below. A cry rang up from the audience.

"Look out!" a girl cried.

Link twisted his body around in midair and fired his clawshot at the first thing he could find, and Rio quickly followed suit. Their hooks grappled onto the metal grating of the nearby respective walls and yanked them up and away from the spikes in unison.

"Whew!" Malon heaved a sigh of relief. "That was close."

"I don't believe it," Purlo breathed. "No one's ever won the secon– I mean, 'Live life on the edge!' You two have won the second round!"

"Awesome!" Rio jabbed the air with his fist.

The spikes receded, and the boys dropped down from the walls and exited the cage, dropping their clawshots on the ground next to Purlo.

"Here are your Rupees and a piece of heart for both of you!"

Link put the 20 Rupees back into his wallet, and both boys received their pieces of heart. Both bubbled and fizzed as they dissolved into the boys' hands.

"All right, man," Rio laughed haughtily. "Now where's our other prize?"

"Right where you dropped them."

Rio's expression turned to disappointment as he reached back down for his clawshot.

"That's it?"

"What do you mean, 'that's it?' This seems kind of handy to me."

Link ducked down to pick up his clawshot, but his hand hit the trigger, so the claw zipped up and grappled a pole high up in the tent.

"Uh oh! WHAA!"

The audience members ducked when he zipped passed them on his way up. They laughed as they watched him dangle from the ceiling.

"Help please?"

"Just use the clawshot, man," Rio laughed.

Link managed to grapple his way back down, and after thanking Purlo, they all left the tent.

"Maybe I should hold onto those for you guys," Malon offered. "Those clawshots might be more trouble than they're worth."

"No worries," Rio answered absent-mindedly. He was too busy fiddling with the trigger mechanization on the clawshot.

"I don't really wanna hold onto this the whole time we're running around, but I don't mind for now."

"Just don't fire them at weird things, okay?"

Link heard whispering and turned around. The three girls from the tent huddled behind them giggling to one another, but when he turned to face them, their faces turned bright red and screaming replaced their giggling.

"It's those boys!"

"So dreamy!"

"Kyaaa!"

They then took off down the street.

"…O…kay…?"

Link held tightly onto his clawshot, taking care not to hit the trigger again, as they visited the other tents: dime pitches, balloons and darts, ping pong and fish bowls, duck ponds, high striker, milk bottles, ring tosses, and bingo were just a sample of the games available to them. The two boys proved to be a more than formidable team when it came to the carnival games and quickly became celebrities among the street-goers who began following them around, including the three girls from the STAR game. Their tossed rings and flipped coins always hit their targets, their darts popped every balloon, and every bell they struck rang loudly. With every carnival win, they gained more praise and more followers.

"I'm not sure I like being followed around like this…"

"Just chill, man. It's cool."

They were given more prizes than they could carry and were more than happy to give them to their audience. Malon stood patiently to the side and was more than happy to watch them win their games rather than play herself.

"Don't you want to play, Malon?"

"Boys are better at these games than girls are," she explained. "Besides, I'll win a lot more prizes if I just let you play for me. Go for the rabbit ear headband, Rio!"

Rio brought a hammer crashing down onto the lever of a high striker. The puck on the other end of the lever streaked straight up and crashed into the bell.

"You win!" The game operator announced, and the audience cheered.

Malon put the headband on immediately and the three went on their way. The morning wound into noon as they went back and forth between the games, but they didn't take notice of the time until they left the Bombchu Bowling Alley with their prizes.

"It's getting late," Malon replied. "We better head back to the main part of town if we wanna catch the parade."

Unlike the other games, she chose to join the boys in Bombchu Bowling and won. She held her prize eagerly in her hand; a piece of heart of her own. She stared at it, waiting eagerly for it to sink into her skin, but it didn't. Disappointed, she handed it to Link.

"Here," she said. "It's no good to me."

"You can have mine, too," Rio shoved his to Link before it had a chance to dissolve into him. "Those things kinda freak me out, to be honest."

Link took both without objection, but when they sank into his skin, his hands sparkled brightly.

"What the-?!"

The sparkling shot through his arms into his chest, up his neck and down his legs until he was one giant glimmer. Just as quickly as it happened, it stopped.

"What the heck was that?!" Malon wondered, her arms raised defensively. "Link, are you all right?"

He stared at his hands for a long time before answering.

"I… I feel great!"

"What happened?!" Rio shouted in disbelief.

"Dad said collecting pieces of heart would make you stronger. Maybe he just meant you had to collect enough of them."

"Weird, but cool!"

"Geez, I wish I'd known that," Rio folded his arms. "I'm keeping the rest I get for myself!"

"Anyways, let's hurry to where the parade is. If we have time, maybe we can go shopping while we wait."

They made their way back to the shopping district toward the blocked off street. Festival music permeated the air but could barely be heard over the chattering of other carnival goers. By now the paved stone roads were so filled with people that Malon, Rio, and Link had to weave their way carefully through the crowds and pardon themselves at every turn.

As they walked, Link noticed a spring in his step that hadn't been there before. His exhaustion from this morning was gone, and his pace was a little quicker than before without extra effort on his part. He didn't have a chance to test his physical strength at the moment, but the muscles in his arms did feel tighter. He was always tired in the morning no matter what time he woke up, but his tiredness always dissipated around this time of day, so that didn't matter much. What about everything else though? Was this really the work of a few pieces of heart, or was he just feeling a placebo effect?

"Am I really stronger?"

"Link?" Navi popped out of his shirt.

"Yes, Navi?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"What are 'parents?'"

Link stopped.

"…Why do you ask?"

"Because you and Malon were talking about them earlier, so I was curious."

"Um…well, do you know what 'mom' or 'dad' are?"

"Not really."

"Hmm, I guess the best way to put it would be that parents are the ones who take care of you."

"Well in that case," Navi giggled happily. "I've got lots of parents, because all the other fairies in the forest help take care of me. But I guess that would make me a parent, too since I help them t–"

"No, it's not like that. Parents are, well…geez, how do I explain this? Do you know who made you, Navi?"

"The Great Deku Tree and the Great Fairy of Faron made all the forest fairies, including me."

"That would make them your parents, then."

"What about a 'mom' or 'dad'? What are those?"

"Those are the individual names for parents; the 'mom' is the girl parent, and the 'dad' is the boy parent."

"I guess that makes the Faron Fairy my mom, but what about my dad? The Great Deku Tree isn't a boy or girl, at least as far as I know."

"I don't know."

"…Link?"

"…Yes?"

"Do you… know who your parents are?"

"No…I don't."

"Why not?"

"When I was a baby and too young to remember, Malon found me outside of the ranch where she lived, so she and her dad took me in."

"Didn't they know who your parents were?"

"Of course not."

"Why not? Didn't the people who made them make you?"

"It's different for people. We aren't all made by the same parents. Instead, as we get older, we all become parents for our own children so that we can make even more people as time goes on."

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Make more people."

Link's face burned red. He stuttered to think of what to say next.

"Um…uh…"

"Is it that embarrassing?"

"Yeah, it kind of is."

"You don't have to tell me that part, then."

"Thank goddess!"

"So let me see if I got this right; people like you and Malon were made by your own parents, and someday if you wanted to, you could be make more people and be their parents?"

"Pretty much."

"But you don't know who your parents are, the people who made you?"

"…Yeah."

"…Why not?"

" …I don't know. I've never met them before, and I don't know anything about them. I don't know their names, or if they're even alive…"

"And that's why you came to the city…to try and find them…"

Navi's wings drooped noticeably as she wrapped her arms tightly around herself. A soft weep escaped from her throat.

"Hey, wait! Don't be sad."

"But it's my fault you couldn't find them before! If I'd just shut up and let you talk for a minute, you would've gotten a chance to look for them in the Temple of Time, but instead I forced you to look all over the city for some silly Hero. I feel like an idiot…"

"You couldn't help it. The Great Deku Tree told you to look for Him, and I didn't mind helping you either. Raven, the Resistance, Lady Impa; hearing what they all had to say about what's been happening in the city has made me realize just how bad things have gotten for Hyrule."

Link pulled the dried cloth name out of his pocket and stared at it. The name had all but faded thanks to his plunge into the underground waterway, but the lines of the letter were still faintly visible.

"As much as I wish I knew something about my parents, finding the Hero of Time is way more important."

"But what do we do if we can't find him?! Malon said the two of you were gonna leave tomorrow and go home! I don't know anyone else who can help me!"

"I don't care what Malon says. I'm not leaving this city until I find Him."

Navi whipped up to Link in shock.

"What?! But, won't Malon get mad at you?"

"I'm sure she will."

"You can't mean you'd give up living at your home just to help me find Him?!"

"I do."

"Link! You're…you're insane! What'll you do?! You can't live here in the city forever! What'll you do when you run out of money?! Where will you live?! What will you eat?!"

"I don't know, but I feel strange. I haven't felt like this in such a long time…"

"Felt like…what?"

"I'm tired, Navi. I'm just so tired…"

"You can't possibly be that tired if you're thinking of living on the streets like you say you are!"

"No, Navi. I'm not that kind of tired."

"What do you mean?"

"I've been living on the ranch with Malon and her dad and uncle for so long, and I'm so grateful that they took me in and took care of me all my life. I have friends, and family, and people that I love, but…all this time…Lon Lon Ranch, the place where I lived, it's never once felt like a home to me. I've always wondered about where I came from, and it only got worse when I found out that I was Hylian. And now that I'm older, it's feeling more and more like I'm not needed at the ranch anymore, like what I'm doing is pointless. I wanna do something more with my life than take care of horses and cows! I'm tired of not knowing who I am and feeling like I'm wasting my life! When I was a kid, I wanted to join the Royal Knights of Hyrule so that I could help people. Even now, I still wanna help people and make as big a difference as I can, and if all that means is sleeping on the streets just to find the Hero of Time so that he can be the hero everyone loves, then I'll do it!"

Navi stared helplessly at Link, thunderstruck.

"You…you…I–"

She gave up on rationality and folded her arms in a huff.

"You're stupid!"

Link laughed silently.

"You seem so confident, but how do you know we'll even find him? We could spend the rest of our lives searching for him and never find so much as a clue. You said it yourself, Hyrule City is a really big place…"

"I'm willing to risk it."

"…Link?"

"Yes, Navi?"

"Thank you for helping me. I think I know now what Saria meant when she said you were a really good friend. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't found me…"

"…You're welcome."

"Uh oh."

Navi jumped from Link's shirt and looked all around.

"Where'd Malon and Rio go?"

Link looked around and saw no trace of either of them.

"It's no big deal. At least now we can look around for the Hero of Time without them to bug us."

"But you said you didn't wanna leave Rio alone with Malon!"

"…Crap. I forgot about him."

"I'll fly up and see if I can find them!"

"Go for it."

Navi sailed above the sea of people, shielded her eyes with one hand and looked to and fro for their companions.

"Do you see them?"

"No, not yet!"

"I hope we find them soon, if nothing else. It looks like it's gonna rain, and Malon hates getting rained on."

"If they're here, I'll see them! They couldn't have gone too far, right?"

"Right…"

The thought of rain tranquilized Link. He moved away from the sidewalks out of everyone's way. While he waited for Navi's report, he leaned against a nearby building and stared up at the clouds. They'd grown much bigger and darker from that morning and loomed forbiddingly over the city, looking like they might dump their giant loads of water on the citizens at a moment's notice. Link wondered how fast the streets would clear out when it started raining, how quickly the people would duck and cover their heads as they ran into the nearby buildings for shelter. When the rain fell, Malon would be one of the ones running into the nearby buildings.

"Not me, though…"

When it rained at home on the ranch, it was all it took to keep Talon and Ingo from dragging Link inside by his feet. He would stand outside for hours and let the drops land on his face and clothes and the bare skin of his arms. He'd run around the racetrack as fast as he could and feel the whip of the wind through his hair. He'd rip off his shoes and stomp his bare feet in as many puddles as he could find and feel the mud squish between his toes. He'd lie down on some thick stalks of grass in the meadow and smile to himself as he watched the drops fall out of the sky by the hundreds. He loved the rain.

But there were no dirt roads in the city, so there would be no mud puddles to splash. There wouldn't be much room to run either, even if everyone else went inside. If it did rain though, he took comfort in the idea that he could probably find an empty alley to lie down in and watch the drops fall.

Without thinking, Link slid down against the building's wall until he was sitting on the sidewalk. The people looked annoyed at him as they moved around to keep from tripping over his feet, but he didn't care. He smiled at the sky, closed his eyes, and let his mind wander. He dreamt of the biggest meadow he could, then pictured himself lying down in the grass and letting the rain soak him.

His fantasy hit a familiar chord with him, so he thought harder about it and remembered promptly where he'd experienced it.

"It was that vision from this morning. The one that taught me that song, the Song of Storms."

Link's desire for his ocarina grew ten-fold instantly.

"How did that song go? Dada daa, dada daa, daa dadadadada daa…"

It didn't take much for him to recall the song; within an instant, Link was playing the tune perfectly in his mind over and over. The song resonated in his mind as he fantasized himself lying in that stormy meadow. In fact, the song resonated too well.

Link's eyes snapped open and he sat up. His ears picked up the song coming from nearby.

"Someone's playing that song!"

He stood up and started down one way, but when the song grew faint he came back and went the other direction. Still, it grew faint.

"Where's it coming from? Who's playing it?"

He went past the building he'd leaned against, stopped, and stared in the window.

"It was coming from in here the whole time."

He was about to walk inside when he halted and looked back in the window. Several priced items were on display on the tall sheet-covered shelf, but out of all those items, one caught his eye and captivated him. With his open hands pressed on the glass, he gazed dreamily at it.

"Link!" Navi called. "I see them! They're coming this way!…Link? Link, where'd you go?"

The bell above the door clinked as Link stepped inside the shop. A phonograph perched on an end table played an off-key rendition of the Song of Storms.

"Welcome to the Windmill Hut," said a bald man standing behind the counter. "I saw you looking in the window. See anything you like?"

Link nodded and pointed to the phonograph.

"Sorry son, but that's not for sale."

He shook his head, pointing harder.

"Is it…the song you're curious about?"

Link smiled and nodded.

"Ahh, heard it from outside, did you?"

As the man spoke, the phonograph suddenly came to a grinding halt. The scratching made Link put his hands to his ears. The man laughed at his reaction.

"Hoho don't mind my organ! It's old, but it's still got some juice left."

He stepped from behind the register, passed Link, and walked to the phonograph where he picked it up and slung it over his shoulder. With the grinder in his hand, the man wound the phonograph back up until it began to play.

"I'm Guru, by the way," he said as he hummed along with the song. "This song has been in my family for generations, and so too has this organ."

As Link watched Guru wind and play the phonograph, the shop door opened again.

"Link!" answered Malon as she stepped in, Rio following behind. "There you are. It's a good thing Navi found us. How long have you been in here?"

"I just walked in."

"Ah, you're name is Link, then?" the shop owner wondered aloud before turning to Malon and Rio.

"Welcome to my shop, you two."

"What kind of shop is this?" Rio wandered from wall to wall with his hands in his pockets, looking at the miscellaneous products on all the shops.

"To be honest," Guru laughed. "It's more like my storage unit. I keep all my junk here out of my house, and if anyone wants to buy it, all the more luck to them."

"Right," Malon rolled her eyes. "Link, let's go! The parade is going to start soon."

She grabbed his arm and began to drag him toward the door, but Link pulled away and raised his hand to her.

"What? There's something here you want, isn't there?"

He turned back to Guru and pointed at the window.

"If there was something in the window you wanted, you can go ahead and grab it out of there."

"Link," Navi floated down into the windowed display. "Don't tell me you wanted this ocarina?"

She struggled under the weight of the instrument, holding it in both hands and buzzing her wings as fast as she could. She dropped it into Link's open hand, and its size fit his palm perfectly.

"Link, you've got a perfectly good ocarina of your own," argued Malon. "You don't need a new one."

He frowned sadly.

"I lost it."

"How? When? Didn't you look for it?"

"Last night, and I looked everywhere but I couldn't find it."

"…I'm sorry, Link," she said softly. "I know how important it was to you."

"Let me see that!"

Rio ripped the ocarina from Link's hand and held it up in the light.

"Be careful!" cried Guru. "That's an antique, and very fragile!"

"It's kind of pretty," he murmured as he stared at it.

"Yeah, look at that blue!" Malon exclaimed.

"What's with those triangles on the mouthpiece?"

"That ocarina," Guru began. "Is said to belong to the Hero of Time himself. The triangles represent the mythical Triforce."

"All right, mister," Malon put her hands on her hips. "Let's talk numbers. How much are we talking here?"

"That ocarina is priceless in terms of its historic value. The sages at the Temple of Time would love to get there hands on it if they knew it was here."

"Oh please," Rio scoffed. "Even if the Hero of Time was real, I doubt this thing belonged to him."

"Hmm, yes," Guru answered sternly. "With regards to its true proven value, I assure you that ocarina is of high quality. It's rarity is increased by the unknown metal it's made out of. Metal ocarinas don't normally play very well, especially when made of unknown alloys with unusual properties, but this one does for some reason."

"Why don't you try it out, Link?" Malon took the ocarina from Rio and gave it back. "I always like hearing you play."

"Yeah, I wanna hear too!" chimed in Navi as she plopped down on his shoulder.

"NO!"

Everyone jumped at Guru's outburst.

"You musn't play that ocarina in here! You are free to play it the minute you walk out of the shop, and if for any reason it doesn't satisfy I'll give you a full refund, but you can NOT play it in my shop!"

"Why not? We ought to be allowed to make sure it actually works before we buy it!"

"That ocarina has some rather strange properties. I'm sorry I can't be more specific, but you'll see for yourself once you play it."

"All right. So how much is it?"

"Despite it's worth, that poor ocarina has been sitting in my shop for so long and no one's been willing to pay full price for–"

"Get to the point, would you?!" blurted Navi. "We don't need a blasted explanation for everything!"

"300."

"300?! As in Rupees?! Are you insane?! It's just an ocarina!"

"It's a special ocarina."

"No wonder no one wants to buy it, you overpricing windbag! Come on guys, let's get out of here."

Malon took Link's arm and started for the door, but he refused to budge.

"Link, that price is ridiculous! You can't possibly be thinking about buying it!"

"She's right," Navi agreed. "I know you're upset about losing your other ocarina, but you shouldn't spend your money on something so extravagant." She then whispered in his ear, "You're going to need that money to take care of yourself when you stay behind here in Hyrule."

The luster blue of the ocarina gleamed in Link's hand. A silver band was wrapped around the mouthpiece, and on the mouthpiece were those three gold triangles.

"I've seen the Triforce so many times lately: in the Temple of Time, in the city... I know I've seen it before, but where?...Didn't Rusl show them to me once?"

"Navi," Malon asked. "What's Link thinking about?"

"I'm not really sure. He's just mumbling to himself about the triangles."

Leaves of an ancient book went through Link's head, and in them he saw the Triforce.

"That's right. Rusl had a book that he showed me. That was forever ago. I'd forgotten all about it."

He scratched distractedly at the bandages on his left hand.

"...ink? Link? Link!"

He blinked when he finally noticed Malon's fingers snapping in his face.

"You airhead! Wake up, will you?"

"Ah, sorry. I'll be there in a second."

Link approached the counter with the ocarina and got his wallet ready.

"Link!" Malon exclaimed. "Don't be stupid!"

"You can't be serious!" Navi cried.

"Sorry guys. I don't know why, but my gut's telling me to buy it."

"You're gut is gonna leave you completely broke! Link, don't be a fool!"

"...Sorry."

Malon groaned and rubbed her forehead. Navi drifted down onto Malon's shoulder, and the two watched in disbelief as Link exchanged his rupees with the store owner. As soon as the ocarina was purchased and Link's wallet emptied, the four of them left the Windmill Hut and headed onto the street. As they passed a troupe of sun-kissed performers, Malon handled the empty wallet clumsily in her hands.

"All that money," she said sadly. "Gone."

"Yeah..." Navi sighed.

"Am I the only one happy about this?"

"Hey," Rio stopped them. "At least he got something concrete out of it, right? It's not like he wasted his money gambling or drinking."

Malon sighed before saying,"I suppose."

Rio pointed at Link suspiciously.

"You can play the ocarina, can't you?"

Link nodded.

"Then what's the problem? It's something he can use and use well, and it's in decent condition so it will last a long time, as long as he doesn't lose it."

"Link," Malon turned on him. "You better not lose that ocarina, you hear?"

He quickly shook his head.

"Now that we're outside, why don't we make sure it actually works? Play something for us."

Link eyed the ocarina carefully. It was bigger and had more holes than Saria's had. Playing it would take getting used to.

"No better time than the present, right?"

He put the instrument to his mouth and blew a cautious note. The graceful sound that erupted from the ocarina instantly swelled within his ears.

"Holy shit!" Rio exploded.

"Rio!" Malon gasped. "Watch your language!"

"Oh come on! I know you heard what I heard!"

"That's no reason to curse!"

The sound had startled Link as much as it had Rio. He stopped playing.

"Don't stop, dude!" Rio grinned. "That thing sounds awesome! Play something!"

Link put his lips to the mouthpiece.

"Hey!" A woman's voice called to them before Link could play, and they turned to the source of the voice. The troupe of dancers they'd passed was now looking at them, and from them a slender, dark-skinned woman beckoned to Link. She wore her thick red hair in a tight ponytail on the top of her head. Giant gold bangles decorated her wrists, arms, and neck, and ribbons flowed out from her tight dancer's suit. She blinked alluringly at Link with her sharp almond-shaped eyes.

"Whoa, she's pretty."

"You should come play with us!" She called out to them confidently.

"Link, those are gypsies," Malon grabbed his arm. "Let's get outta here."

"Don't be shy, Mr. Hero!"

"What?!"

"You can all come over!" The young woman held out her arms as she walked toward them. "We don't judge! Come! Sing and dance with us!"

"What's the harm?" Rio assured. "It's not like we've got anything to steal, right?"

"Did she just call me...what I think she called me?"

Before anyone could disagree the young woman had taken Link by his hand and escorted him albeit forcefully back with her. The other members of her troupe went back to clapping and playing their exotic instruments.

"Try and follow along, if you can," the young woman challenged. At her signal, the other players took up a song, and she began to dance.

"Play that ocarina for us, child," said an older man with long unkempt hair and bongo drums. Not knowing what else to do, Link sat down with the performers and began to play.

"Yeah!" The woman laughed. "That's the stuff!"

Her flexible body twisted gracefully as she spun herself around to the music. Link followed perfectly with the other instruments, and the notes that sprang freely from the ocarina seemed to dance in the air along with her.

"Girl!" The dancer pointed at Malon. "Can you sing?"

"I can."

"Then sing!"

"I-I don't know."

"C'mon Malon," Rio clapped. "Sing!"

"Well, okay."

Malon took up a song, her voice joining the exotic symphony of the troupe. Between Malon's soothing voice, the soft notes of Link's ocarina, the woman's rapid dance, and the sounds of the other performers (the banging bongos, the bright pluck of a lyre and a fiddle, and the low blow of a woodwind horn), people in the streets stopped hypnotically to take notice of the performers.

"Dance with me!" The woman said as she pulled Rio next to her. "I need a partner."

"With pleasure!"

The woman whirled around on the toes of her light sandaled feet as she spun with Rio. When he stepped one way, she stepped the other, and the two danced in time as they took hands and mirrored each other perfectly.

"You're really good," The woman smiled.

"I know," Rio replied arrogantly.

"Oh really?" She grinned. "In that case, let's see you keep up with this."

She snapped her fingers. At her snap the performers began to play much faster. Link and Malon stumbled out of time with the troupe, but after a few measures were back in track. She jumped lightly and twirled her arms in the air above her head. Rio danced in time with the woman's nimble moves, but visibly struggled to do performers steadily played faster and faster, so Link and Malon blew and sang harder and louder to keep up. The people watching clapped to the beat of the song, their clapping increasing in speed along with the performers.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up!"

"Hey, Link. Look."

"I know Navi. He's copying her dance moves, just like he copied me at the STAR game."

"No, not that. There's something wrong with him…"

"What are you talking about?"

"Just look at him."

Link peered up from his playing.

"What the heck?"

"See? There's something wrong with his dancing."

"Yeah, it's weird. He's dancing so fast that he's… blurring…"

The music finished suddenly while he examined Rio, so Link missed his final cue. Thankfully, no one noticed since the passersby were busy applauding for Rio and the female dancer.

Breathless, Rio asked, "How did I do?"

"Excellent!" she slapped him on the back. "Better as I'd expected."

"Oh really? And what were you expecting?"

"I've always wondered what it was like to dance with a shadow."

Rio's expression suddenly twisted into a grimace at her words, but she ignored him as she turned to Malon and Link.

"Great job on those vocals, sweety!"

"Um, thank you," Malon replied shyly.

"And you, Mr. Hero! Awesome work with that ocarina!"

"Why do you keep calling me that? Why does everyone call me that?"

"Hey," Malon interjected as if hearing his thoughts. "He has a name, you know. Why do you call him that?"

"I am well aware that his name is Link."

"How do you–"

"But what I'm interested in is whether you know my name."

As she spoke, she bent in so close to Link's face that he had to take a few steps back.

"Well? Do you?"

He slowly shook his head.

"Are you sure?"

To this he nodded.

"Then I guess I'll just tell you," she decided as she extended her hand. "My name is Din. It's nice to meet you, Link."

Link responded to her extended hand by giving his own, but was baffled when she pushed it away.

"Nuh uh. The other one."

"You mean my left hand?"

He tried again with his bandaged hand. As soon as they began to shake hands, Din grasped his hand in both hers and stared hard at it. Her rusty red eyes scanned every fold of the bandage and visible groove in his skin.

"Red eyes…I wonder if she's a Sheikah, too."

"Nope. I'm a Hylian like you. I just have red eyes."

"What the– How did you–?!"

"I'm a lot more than a traveling, dancing gypsy, Link."

"…You're not…the Din, are you?"

"No," she laughed. "But you're close."

"Who… who are you?"

"Sounds like you have a parade to catch."

"What?"

Trumpets blared loudly from down the road.

"That's the parade!" Malon cried as she grabbed Link's arm. "Let's hurry!"

"We'll meet again, Mr. Hero," Din called after them as they ran. "Maybe next time we can dance together!"

Link waved goodbye as they headed for the indicated parade route. Humans and Hylians all crowded and leaned over the barriers in order to watch the ensuing procession. Malon pushed carefully past the people looking for a spot.

"I see a place," she said as she moved to the front and made room for the boys. "I hope we haven't missed too much. Oh, I'm so excited!"

Malon turned back to the parade to find herself face to face with a bright mask.

"Eek!"

The masked figure laughed impishly at her before cartwheeling away. The sounds of the city were vanquished when the parade music began. More masked figures followed after, dancing and walking on their hands, jumping into the faces of other audience members as they marched on.

"Whoa," Navi gasped from atop Link's head. "You humans sure know how to put on a show."

Link ducked when several lit torches suddenly flew over his head. Fire jugglers with bald heads and flashy outfits marched in line as they twirled and tossed their torches in the air. Link felt a tug at his pant leg and looked down. He was greeted by a pair of big wet eyes on a tiny boy. The boy stopped tugging when he met Link's gaze.

"Ahh, I'm sorry," the boy mumbled. "I didn't mean to–"

Link lifted the boy up into the air and placed him on his shoulders. The boy laughed happily at his much improved view of the parade.

"Thanks, mister!"

"That's so cute!" Malon giggled. "You're always so good with kids, Link."

Hundreds of performers marched as the parade progressed. Women twirled batons, men beat drums strapped on their backs, floats with dancing figures wheeled by, clowns tossed candy at the audience―at which point Link let the boy down to grab some―and a giant paper dragon perched on sticks danced to and fro down the street. All the while, the music continued and confetti and ribbons drifted down from the apartments of the nearby buildings.

Wild cheering rose up from the crowd when a man, clad in green and riding a horse trotted down the path, brandished a magnificent sword.

"For Hyrule!" He declared, and the audience screamed in agreement.

"Link! It's him!" Navi bobbed up and down excitedly. "It's the–"

"Whoa there, Navi, take it easy. That's not the Hero of Time. It's just some guy in a costume."

"Aww, really?"

"Promise."

"Darn it all!" She pouted. "They got me excited for nothing."

A long line of white horses ridden by armored soldiers followed after the costumed hero. They waved at the audience as they rode by. Link recognized one out the rest, who winked at him as he rode past.

"Sir Raven. I didn't know he'd be in the parade."

Trumpets began to play the anthem of the nation as the biggest and grandest float in the parade approached Malon, Rio, and Link's place in the crowd.

A loud voice declared, "Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to our valiant King Daphnes Nohansen Harkinian Hyrule, and the wise Princess Zelda Catherine Hyrule!"

The audience members shrieked as a float decorated in royal purple and blue slowly moved by. Link recognized Lady Impa standing atop the float, looking rather intimidating.

"I guess if I wanted a bodyguard to protect me, I'd choose her too."

Beside her in one of the temporary thrones, he saw who must've been the King of Hyrule.

"Whoa."

A large man draped in a great red robe, the king's face flushed with joy as he proudly waved and smiled a big smile at his subjects.

"Now there's a guy who truly loves his king...dom..."

If Link held anything in his hands, he dropped it at what he saw next. The parade music, the cheering of the audience; all the noise around him drifted slowly away until all was silent. The people around him still celebrated, but he noticed no person nor a thing around him.

Sitting quietly beside her father, Princess Zelda's slender gloved hand swayed back and forth as she waved majestically at the people. Upon her head she wore a gold crown of ivy with a red jewel in the center. Pointed ears rose out of her soft brown braided hair. She wore the traditional dress of the divine princesses; a long white gown adorned with an outer corset dyed purple, and with a navy apron bearing the crimson crests of the Royal Family and the Sheikah tribe.

"WHOA..."

The princess' sharp blue eyes cast back and forth from person to person. When they came to Link, they rested. To Link's utter astonishment, Princess Zelda stood from her throne, stepped off of the float, drifted past everyone else around them, and extended her hand in greeting.

"Hello Link," she said. "My dearest friend."

"...Link? Link? Link, wake up!"

"Huh?!"

"Ya spaced out, dude," Rio replied. "You all right?"

He nodded.

"Yeah, I think so..."

"I don't blame ya, though. The Princess sure is hot, ain't she?"

"...Did I just hallucinate that whole thing? That was weird..."

Link looked back up at the float. Princess Zelda hadn't moved from her spot. She still waved her hand in her seat at her subjects. Just then, the float jarred to a halt and the music stopped.

"What the heck?" Malon reacted. "Why'd they stop?"

The spectators stopped cheering and began to whisper amongst themselves.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"Is this part of the parade?"

Impa, the princess, and the king looked equally confused. Princess Zelda stood from her throne while Impa began casting her eyes around.

"Link," Navi whispered. "What's going on?"

"I don't know. And I don't like it."

Cackling rang through the air. Everyone on the street turned to the source of the laughter. Standing atop a column in perfect view for all to see, was a slim man in a white jumpsuit and a dark cloak. He bowed before the people.

"Now now, people of Hyrule, there's no need to panic," he announced. "But I'm afraid there's been a slight change in plans with regards to your festivities."

"What's with this clown?" Malon pointed her thumb at the interrupter.

Impa took a defensive stance between the man on the column and Princess Zelda.

"If Impa doesn't like this guy then neither do I."

"From this point on," the man continued. "I will be your entertainer for the day. You could almost call me a magician in this case, but I would prefer it if you referred to me by my formal name: Lord Ghirahim."

"Who are you?!" Impa demanded. "State your business!"

"Why, don't be impatient, my dear! My business is but a simple slight of hand. Ladies and gentlemen, for my first trick, I shall make his Royal Majesty's life disappear!"

In a burst of black and gold diamonds, the man disappeared from the column.

"Make the king's life...disappear?!"

Another burst of the same diamonds appeared on the float beside Impa, and with a swift punch and thrust of his sword, Lord Ghirahim knocked Impa off the float while using his blade to stab the king.

"FATHER!" Princess Zelda screamed.

"THE KING!"

People in the audience screamed in fear and began to scramble madly away from the parade. They shoved past Link and Malon, separating them.

"Link!" Malon cried out. "Where are you?! Link!"

Helpless to move against the fleeing crowds, Malon was pushed farther and farther away. Meanwhile, Ghirahim cackled evilly at the people.

"There's no point in running away!" He laughed.

Suddenly, a shrill shriek came up from the crowd, and they began running the other direction. Soon, people were running in all directions.

"What's going on?!"

Link shoved past the panicking crowd and stumbled into an open area. He came face to face with the ugliest creatures he'd ever seen. With wrinkled dark faces and gnarled teeth, they wore ragged loincloths and carried clubs, rusty knives, and other weapons in hand.

"Bokoblins?! How did they get into the city?!"

Giggling, the evil gremlins began flooding into the streets past Link. They jumped on top of the heads of innocent bystanders, and pulled their hair. They used their weapons to beat and slash everyone in their path. Everywhere Link looked, it seemed like the bokoblins outnumbered the citizens a hundred to one.

"Stop it! Leave them alone!"

Link yanked a bokoblin off the person closest to him and punched it away, but gasped in pain when he felt a ragged sword slash across his hip. He twisted around and kicked the offending bokoblin away.

"Navi! Navi, where are you?! Navi!"

He staggered over to and leaned on the nearby float while grasping the deep cut. Blood seeped out from the wound, and he watched helplessly as the bokoblins wreaked havoc on the confused and frightened people.

"...Damn it! Damn it all! I can't even protect myself, much less anybody else! Why do I have to be so weak?!"

A dark flash moved past Link and up to the Royal Float.

"No! Leave her alone!"

Gritting his teeth, Link ignored the pain in his side as he staggered up to the float. Princess Zelda, kneeling down beside her collapsed father, gazed up in fear at the man dressed in black. He concealed his face with a mask so that only his piercing yellow eyes could be seen. Sharp metal claws protruded from his heavy gauntlets.

"Get away from her!"

He pulled himself up and stood between Princess Zelda and the frightening character.

"Step aside, boy," ordered the dark man.

His side screamed in pain, but Link stood his ground.

"Fine. Have it your way."

The claws retracted into the assassin's gauntlets, and his fist rammed into Link's stomach. With the wind knocked out of him, Link fell in a heap.

"No...gotta stop him..."

He tried to pull himself up, but his strength failed him and he finally collapsed. From the corners of his closing eyes, Link watched as the assassin approached the helpless princess, and he felt the shadow of unconsciousness creep in on him.

"Can't...so weak...I'm so weak..."