The next morning was crisp and dewy. Everyone got up an hour before the sun rose to bid Link goodbye. Malon, Talon, and Ingo gathered at the ranch's main gate and watched while Link and Sheik prepared their respective horses. Sheik had purchased his from the ranch and wanted to give them double, but at their insistence he paid for the horse at a discount.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked. "You're already down a horse, no thanks to Rio."

"You'll need that money to take care of yourselves," Ingo replied. "It's a tough road where you're going."

Malon's voice shook as she held Link's hands.

"I'll miss you. We all will. Promise you'll be careful, please."

He squeezed her hands and nodded.

"Take this with you," Ingo said and presented a hand axe to Link. "You'll need this when you're sleeping under the stars on a cold night. It might be small, but it'll gather you kindling better than any other axe."

Link smiled as he took the axe.

"Wait a second," said Malon. "I'll be right back."

She raced back into the ranch. Several minutes later, she returned with four giant bottles of Lon Lon Milk in her arms.

"Maybe these will help, too. At least take them, so you'll have something to remember us by."

Link took the bottles and set them down, then held her tight in his arms.

"I'd never forget you. Not in a million years. I promise."

He followed Malon's hug by giving Talon and Ingo strong handshakes and hugs of their own.

"You take care of yourself, boy," said Ingo.

"I'm proud of you, Link," said Talon. "You'll do just fine."

Link put the milk bottles one by one into his sack, and hopped onto Epona.

"And please take care of Epona," Malon patted the mare's neck.

"We'll be in touch," said Sheik. "I'll remind him to write letters whenever we can."

"You will? Thank you! It would mean so much if you could."

"You won't be able to reply, since we'll be moving around."

"That's okay. We won't have much to write about. I have a feeling things will be boring without him."

"Thank you so much, for everything."

"Bye everybody!" Navi waved from underneath Link's cap. "It was nice meeting all of you!"

"Take good care of him, Navi."

"Of course I will! I'm the best guardian fairy that ever guarded."

"Let's go Link." Sheik took up his reins. "Ordon Village awaits. And soon, all of Hyrule will be waiting for its hero."

Epona reared up on her hind legs, whinnied, and set off at a gallop toward the Ordona Woods. Sheik's horse quickly followed after. Talon and Ingo waved and called 'goodbye' over and over, but Malon watched in silence as Link raced farther and farther away. Before her father or uncle could stop her, she darted down the road, stopped at the bottom of the hill and cupped her hands around her mouth.

"LINK! No matter what happens, promise you'll come back! PROMISE!"

From the distance, she saw Link turn and wave at her. Then, as he and Sheik entered the woods, he was gone.

"Bye, Link," Malon whispered. "Please stay safe."

As Link was beginning his journey, a male Rito was soaring northeast, high above the Ordona Woods. He flew on a thermal, stretching out his long wings, and looked down at the woods below. He wore a purple jacket over his brown and white feathers, and a pack around his shoulders. The western edge of the sky was dark blue, but getting lighter every minute.

"Ah, there you are."

A break in the woods appeared, so he swerved to the right in a half-circle and began his descent, spiraling downward toward the spotted village. When he was just above the trees, he flapped his wings hard, sending out gales beneath him, and drifted down until he was standing on the soft ground. The village was quiet, and no one was about.

"That's what I get for flying so quickly. Oh well, better get to it."

He tucked his wings away and walked up to the first house he saw; a mushroom-shaped cottage resting on top of a hill, with an open-door forge. The Rito approached the front door, cleared his throat and adjusted his jacket, then knocked. No sounds came from inside. After a few minutes, he knocked again.

Immediately after his second knock, the door cracked open. A small boy, with blonde hair cut into a bowl, peaked outside. He saw the giant bird person, gasped and ripped the door open wide.

"You're so big!"

"Good morning, my boy," the Rito laughed. "My name is Quill, and I've come with an urgent message from Hyrule City. Do you know where I can find a man named Rusl?"

"That's my dad!" The boy exclaimed. "I'll go get him!"

The boy left the Rito standing at the door as he raced into the house. While he waited for the boy to return, he let his eyes wander across the village.

"What a pretty little town. That's a lovely waterwheel they have."

"Here he is!"

Quill turned around and watched the boy come back, dragging his father by his much bigger hand.

"Not so hard, Colin! My goodness."

Rusl rubbed his eyes and prostrated himself before the Rito, who was a good foot taller than him.

"Can I help you, sir?"

"I apologize for the hour, my good man. Under normal circumstances, I'd have dropped this into your mailbox for your own convenience." As Quill spoke, he took his sack from his shoulder and dug through it. "But I was given instructions to deliver this letter to you immediately. It is meant for your eyes, and no one else's."

He found the indicated letter and presented it to Rusl. At the sight of the letter's seal, Rusl's brow furrowed. He took the envelope and eyed it suspiciously.

"From Impa? Did I forget something last week?"

He fished through his pockets, pulled out a yellow rupee, and presented it to Quill.

"There is no need, Sir Rusl. The postage is already paid."

"Then at least take a tip. It can't be easy flying here from the city so early in the morning."

"Now that I can agree to," Quill chuckled and took the rupee. "A Happy New Year to you, sir."

"And you as well."

His business finished, the Rito spread his wings and ran down the road, flapping as he went. He jumped, sailed upward over the trees and was gone.

"Whoa!" The boy Colin watched as Quill flew away. "I didn't know Rito were so big!"

Rusl put his arm around Colin and pulled him inside, closing the door behind them. He dropped the letter on a nearby coffee table and walked to one of the bookshelves. When he returned with a letter opener in hand, Colin was holding the letter in both hands, staring in awe at it.

"Let me have it, son."

He handed Rusl the letter, who sat on the sofa and tore it open with the knife. He leaned forward, pulled the parchment out of the envelope, and read the three short sentences to himself:

Rusl,

I've met your friend, whom you speak of so fondly. He will pay you a visit within the next day or two. You can probably figure out why.

Impa

Rusl sank into the sofa.

"What's it say, Dad?"

"It says Link is coming to visit."

"Really? That's great!"

"I guess it is."

"Wait 'til I tell Beth!"

"It's true! A real Rito was here this morning, all the way from Hyrule City!"

"Yeah, right! You're making it up!"

It was late afternoon. Three children were walking in a line, making their way down the forest path, with Colin following shortly behind. The first in line was a boy named Talo, whose brown hair was pushed up in a yellow sweatband. He carried a stick in hand and hit it against the occasional bush as they walked past. The next was a girl, Beth, with a red ribbon tied into her cow-licked hair. She walked with one hand on her hip as they made their way to the spring. The last in line before Colin was Malo, and he was the shortest of the four. He shuffled his legs quickly to keep up with the other two.

"I never saw any Rito!" Talo shouted as he jumped and hit a low-hanging branch with his twig.

"He was here super early, before anybody was awake."

"Then why did you get to see him?" Beth sneered. "You sleep in later than the rest of us."

"He came to give my dad a letter."

"And just what did this letter say?" Malo turned his head toward Colin and gave him a forlorn glance.

"Dad told me it said Link was coming to visit."

"Why would a Rito fly all the way from Hyrule City, just to tell your dad that Link was visiting?"

"It doesn't, that's how! Colin's lying!"

"I am NOT!"

"You are, too!" Beth yelled. "If Link was really coming, he would have told us or come here himself. He wouldn't send someone all the way from Hyrule City, when it takes half as long to travel here from Lon Lon Ranch."

"Yeah! How do you explain that?"

"But I…"

"C'mon guys, let's just go."

"I'm not making it up! There was a Rito, I swear!"

Before the others could comment again, they came to the familiar fork in the road and turned.

Standing knee-deep in the water, and gazing into the sky through the circular break of the trees around the spring, was Ilia, now 16 years old. She'd aged beautifully during the last seven years. Her pale skin was clear, her slender figure had fleshed out delicately, and her green almond eyes were somehow even softer and warmer in her teens. Her short blonde hair grew into a curl that stopped at the nape of her neck.

Ilia's back was to the children when they came up the path. When she heard their footsteps approaching the spring, she turned and waded toward them.

"Hi guys. The water's nice today. Want to come in?"

"Ilia," Talo snickered. "Colin thinks he saw a Rito."

"A Rito?"

"Yeah, he says it came by this morning, but we don't believe him."

"I don't care if you believe me! I saw what I saw!"

"I believe you, Colin," Ilia said as she wrung the water out of her pant leg.

"What?!" Beth cried. "But why?"

"Colin's never lied before. If it were me and I saw a Rito, I'd want to tell everybody I knew, too."

Ilia sat in the dirt next to Colin.

"Did you see what the Rito did while he was here?"

"He came to our house and asked me where he could find my dad. So I woke him up, and the Rito gave him a letter."

"Do you know what it said?"

"Dad told me it said Link was coming to the village."

Ilia put a finger to her chin and thought out loud, "Why would a Rito come to our village just to tell Rusl that Link is coming?"

"That's why we didn't believe him," Talo interrupted. "Doesn't that seem weird?"

"It's a little odd, but that means Rusl saw the Rito, too. Why don't you ask him about it when he's not busy?"

"Yeah! My dad can tell you all about it!"

"And besides. If it's true, then Link will be here soon, any day now. Doesn't that sound fun?"

Ilia gave Beth a furtive smile as she spoke, to which Beth couldn't help blushing.

"I guess that does sound good."

"What about you two?" She said to the brothers. "It's been a while since Link came to visit. Don't you want to see him?"

"Yeah!" Talo exclaimed. "He can play with us like last time!"

"It will be nice to see him," Malo murmured, his voice taking a bitter tone. "Considering he missed the New Year with us."

"Exactly. He owes us big time for not coming out this year. How about you, Colin?"

Colin smiled.

"I do miss Link."

"I do, too. It's been too long. Now let's go back to the village. Your parents won't be happy if they found out you came here."

"Ilia," Beth started as she took hold of Ilia's arm. "Your dad doesn't like it when you go into the forest either. Why do you come out here so much?"

"I have to make sure the spring is okay. Those daisies get worse and worse every day."

Ilia peered into the woods beyond the path and frowned. Black-stemmed daisies, with square petals and red centers, had conquered and crowded the forest floor. They grew in massive clumps at the base of every tree, giving off a glow that lit up the forest in a blood-red light.

"It's too bad," Beth sighed. "They're kind of pretty."

"Don't say that!" Talo blurted. "They're bad flowers that hurt the trees!"

"We need to do something about them soon," Ilia said, clutching Beth's shoulder. "If we don't, we may have to leave the village."

The children protested immediately.

"Leave the village?!"

"We can't leave!"

"It's our home!"

"We're not going anywhere yet," she soothed. "I'm sure we'll figure something out before it gets to that."

"Stupid flowers!" Talo marched over to a clump and squashed one of the daisies under his foot.

"No!"

Ilia grabbed him away, but she stopped him too late. A familiar splintering and cracking rang out.

"RUN!"

She and the kids dashed out of the way as a tree came tumbling down. It landed with a crash in front of them, echoing through the forest.

"Are you guys okay?"

Though they were shaken, all four kids nodded and gave an obligatory 'uh-huh'.

"Talo, you idiot!" Beth yelled. "You know what happens when you touch them! You're such a kid!"

"Calm down," Ilia said. "The important thing is that none of us are hurt."

"But what do we do now?" Colin asked, pointing at the tree. "It fell on the path."

The tree, as wide as Ilia was tall, had fallen across and now blocked the forest path, separating them from the village.

"We can't go around, or we'll risk stepping on more flowers. We'll have to climb over."

"But it's so big!" Talo cried, spreading his arms. "We can't climb over that! We're too small!"

"I'll help you up. Just give me a second."

Ilia reached for one of the tree's branches and pulled herself up. Once she was sitting securely on the massive trunk, she extended her hand down toward the children.

"Ladies first."

Beth took her hand, and Ilia pulled her up and over the tree, then gently placed her down on the other side.

"Talo, can you pick up your brother up so I can reach him?"

Talo hoisted Malo up with all his strength, until he was close enough for Ilia. She took him and lowered him down to Beth's waiting arms on the other side.

"Okay, who's next?"

"I am!" Talo declared as he shoved Colin aside.

"Don't be mean," she said, but reached down for his arms and pulled him up. Another splintering crack erupted. Ilia looked up and saw another tree next to theirs, breaking at its base. Its shadow loomed over Colin as it began to fall.

"COLIN!"

With no time to lift him out of the way, Ilia jumped off her tree, shielded Colin with her body, and squeezed her eyes shut. Talo and Beth screamed as they watched the tree fall onto her.

"ILIA!"

Darkness spread, but there was no crash. Ilia heard Talo's voice cry out from the other side of the already fallen tree.

"Hey! The tree's floating!"

She opened her eyes and looked at the supposedly floating tree. A young man with blond hair stood on one knee, with his back to Ilia and Colin as he held up the tree. He wore a green tunic, with gold chain-link armor underneath, and leather gloves and boots. Frightened, Ilia struggled to speak.

"Th-thank you, sir. I- I mean… We would be dead if not for you."

The boy turned his head around to look at her.

"L…Link?!"

"Link?" Beth's voice shouted. "Where?! I wanna see!"

Link smiled and pushed himself up onto both feet, lifting the tree. He carried it to the side of the path and laid it down out of the way. Then he walked over to Ilia and held his hand out to her.

"How did you-… When did you-?!"

She took his hand, and he helped her to her feet. He went to the first tree and lifted it up as well. At the sight of the tree rising easily in front of them, Beth and Talo cheered.

"You saved Ilia!" Talo cried. "You're a hero!"

"When did you get so strong?" Beth sighed dreamily, starry-eyed.

Even Malo chimed in, giving a curt, "Impressive."

Colin watched in wonder as Link moved the second tree off the forest path.

"You really are amazing…"

Epona strode over to Link and rested her head on his shoulder.

"What do you think, Epona? Can you be nice and give him a ride?"

She nickered softly, so Link lifted Colin and set him on her saddle.

"Hey!" Talo shouted. "I want to ride, too!"

Link lifted Talo onto his shoulders, took Beth's hand, and they began walking toward the village, with Epona trotting beside him. Ilia, frozen in place, watched them walk away.

"What… what just happened?"

"Forgive my friend," a voice said behind her.

Ilia looked around, and saw a figure dressed head to toe in dark, fitted clothing. Wrapped strips of linen covered his arms and legs where the clothing stopped, and a mask concealed his nose and mouth. The only visible parts of his body were the tips of his fingers, his red eyes, and the blond braid that grew out from his hood. He approached Ilia from behind as he lead his horse.

"Subtlety is not one of his strong suits."

"You can say that again," Malo chirruped. "He didn't even ask me if I wanted a ride."

"Perhaps you'll settle for my horse?"

Malo looked him and his horse up and down, scrutinizing both intensely. After a moment he groaned, "I suppose you'll do," and held up his arms.

"You're awfully precocious for one so young," the man replied as he put Malo on his horse. "I'll have to watch myself around you."

"We'll see about that," Malo said as he made himself comfortable on the saddle.

"You live in this village, do you not?" The cloaked man asked Ilia, who nodded without a word.

"Then let's be off."

Ilia moved in silence behind him as they followed Link into the village. When she finally found the courage to speak, she asked, "Who are you?"

"My name is Sheik. I am a member of the Sheikah tribe. I was an apprentice to Lady Impa in Hyrule City, until I met Link and chose to accompany him on his journey."

"Journey? What journey?"

"We will explain everything once we meet with Rusl."

"You know Rusl?"

"He and I are acquainted, yes."

Before Ilia could speak again, they heard quick footsteps, and saw several adults from the village running toward them.

"Mom!" Talo cried. "What're you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?!" Talo and Malo's mother, Pergie, yelled angrily as she yanked Talo off Link's shoulders. "I'll tell you what we're doing here! We heard trees crashing in the forest and came running when we realized none of you were in the village!"

"If we've told you once, we've told you a thousand times!" Beth's mother, Sera, added as she grabbed her by the arm. "You are NOT to go into the woods alone! It is too dangerous!"

"But Mom-"

Ilia stepped forward before Beth could protest.

"Please don't blame them," she pleaded. "They only went into the forest because-"

"Because you broke the rules, AGAIN!" Mayor Bo interrupted. "Ilia, how many times must we go through this?!"

"I have to make sure the spring is safe from the flowers, or they'll destroy the forest!"

"And if you get crushed under a tree, or one of the kids get crushed because they went to see you, what would we do then?!"

"I can't sit around and do nothing while the woods are in danger!"

"And I won't sit by while my daughter knowingly puts herself in danger! You are forbidden from going into the forest again, and that's my final word!"

"Why can't you listen to me?! If anyone's going to find a way to destroy those flowers, it'll be me!"

Mayor Bo's face grew redder and redder the longer their yelling match continued.

"I AM YOUR FATHER AND YOU WILL DO AS I SAY OR SO HELP ME I'LL-"

A hand came to rest on Bo's shoulder, stopping him mid-roar.

"Now Bo," Rusl said calmly. "This is no way to behave in front of guests."

At his statement, Mayor Bo finally took notice of Link and Sheik's presence, and took a deep breath.

"Ilia, we will discuss this later."

She crossed her arms and turned so she didn't face the others. Link noticed the tears in her eyes.

"Link," Bo grumbled. "You're always welcome in our village, but we weren't exactly expecting you. I hope you'll forgive that little… exchange."

"Consider it forgotten," Sheik answered.

"And just who might you be?"

"He's an acquaintance of mine," Rusl explained, looking directly at Link as he spoke. "I received notice this morning that they'd be coming to the village. Apparently, someone caused a bit of a ruckus in Hyrule City."

Link scratched the back of his neck as his face turned bright red.

"So you've heard about it, then?" Sheik asked.

"I haven't heard a thing. But the looks on your faces speak volumes."

"Rusl," Bo blurted. "What nonsense are you talking about this time?"

"Let's hope these two can tell us. But first, let's get these kids home, shall we? Colin, come with me."

At his name, Colin tried to climb down from Epona, but his legs dangled over the ground as he hung from her saddle. Link went to help Colin, and as he did he caught a glimpse of the glow from the daisies, and scowled.

"I hate those things."

He led Epona the rest of the way as the group traveled together to the village. When they came to the entrance, Mayor Bo asked, "How long do you plan on staying?"

"We will stay until we've finished our business," Sheik answered.

"And how long will that business take?"

"A few days, at best. It will depend on Link's abilities."

"In that case, you may stay in the tree house here by the gate," he said gratingly. "I hope you find your visit pleasant."

"Thank you, sir."

"Yes, yes."

Link and Sheik unsaddled their horses while the adults carted their children home.

"Ilia, we're going home."

"But Dad-"

"We're going home. Now."

"Dad, I want to talk to Link."

"Grrrrr! Fine! Do what you want!"

Before anyone could get in a word, Mayor Bo stormed off.

"That man's temper," Rusl grumbled.

A soft hiccup bubbled out of Ilia's throat as she tried to hold back tears. Link put a hand on her shoulder. She wiped her nose and said, "I'm fine, really."

"Link," Rusl asked, trying to change the subject. "Why don't you take those horses of yours over to the ranch?"

"I'll go with him," Ilia mumbled. She slid her hand into Link's, and took Epona's reins from him. Link twitched at her touch, but Sheik handed him the reins of his own horse before he could think too much of it.

"Meet us at my place when you're done."

"Dad," asked Colin. "Am I in trouble?"

"Yes," Rusl said calmly. "But we'll talk about that later. We have very business to take care of right now."

They split at the fork in the road; Sheik and Rusl with Colin in tow headed up the hill to the cottage on the left, while Link and Ilia took the horses over the bridge to the right.

"Geez!"

Navi popped out from under Link's hat and leaned forward on his hair.

"I thought I'd never get to come out!"

"Navi, you've got the sense of timing of a tree stump."

"Well, I wasn't gonna come out with all those kids surrounding us. They get grabby, especially where fairies are involved." She began poking his forehead. "And for your information, I've known several tree stumps who all had great senses of timing, so haha on you."

"Ow! Cut it out!"

He dropped the reins to wave her away from his face, but stopped when he noticed that Ilia's hands were clasped over her mouth.

"Link!" She cried. "Where on earth did you find a fairy?"

"Oh right," Navi realized. "I forgot she was still here."

"That's not very nice."

"Excuse me! I'm not in the mood to be nice, considering I just spent the last few hours bouncing up and down in your hat while you were riding horseback!"

"Wait, what's going on?" asked Ilia. "Miss fairy, who are you talking to?"

"I'm talking to bricks for brains over here," Navi said while pointing a thumb at Link.

"Hey!"

"To Link? But how?"

"I can hear his thoughts, so we can talk even though he doesn't have a voice."

"That's amazing!"

"And my name's not 'Miss Fairy'. It's Navi."

"I'm Ilia, in case no one said it before."

"Link says he's never seen you argue with your dad like that before, and wants to make sure you're okay."

Ilia cast a helpless glance at the ground.

"I'm sorry, Link. We shouldn't have done that in front of you. I didn't want you to know."

"About what?"

"About how bad things have gotten between my dad and I."

She took Epona's reins again, and they began walking up the hill to the ranch.

"I really hate to say it, but we've been arguing almost every night."

"Every night? That doesn't sound like you at all."

"I know. I can't stand the fighting, but the idea of staying away from the spring is… well, you saw for yourself just how bad those flowers have gotten over the years. If they infest the spring, there won't be anything left to protect the village, and we'll have to leave. I love our village, and I couldn't stand it if we had to find a new home.

"We fight because I go to check on the spring every day, even though it's dangerous. I know dad is just worried about me, but I can't stay away. It wouldn't be so bad if it was just me, but sometimes the other kids follow me into the woods since they like being around me. That makes the other parents mad at my dad, and my dad even more mad at me."

"Haven't you tried getting rid of the flowers?"

"Of course, but nothing's worked. We've sprayed them, rooted them, mulched them, transplanted them―we even tried cultivating them, to see if we could find some use for them. But no matter what we do to get rid of the flowers, they suck the life from the trees and make them fall, and then the flowers just grow back twice as fast.

"The forest is dying all around us and there's nothing we can do about it. Even the spring isn't as big as it used to be; it's shallower, and the waterfall is barely more than a trickle over a few rocks. If we don't find a way to get rid of those Twilight Daisies soon, we won't have a forest for much longer."

"I'm so sorry, Ilia. I wish there was something I could do to help."

"I know you would," Ilia sighed. "You've always been good to this village, Link. Rusl told the kids for our camp-out this year all about how you stopped the thieves from taking all the ranches' milk."

"Again? Seriously?"

"He loves telling the story, and they love hearing it, as do most of the villagers. You risked everything to help us that year. My dad never said so, since he felt so bad about how you got hurt, but he really appreciated what you did for the village. I do, too."

"Link," asked Navi. "What's she talking about?"

"When I was little, some thieves came in the middle of the night and tried to make off with all the milk from the village and nearby ranches."

"And you stopped them all by yourself? When you were just a kid? You were even braver then than you are now."

"But that's the thing; I didn't stop them. They got the best of me, and nearly killed me."

"Then how did you survive?"

"All this time, I thought it was the Hero of Time who saved my life. But since it turns out that I'm the Hero, and I obviously didn't save myself, I don't really know what happened, or who rescued me."

"Navi," Ilia asked, "Can I hug you?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Because it's been so long since Link and I had a real conversation. I had no idea how much I missed talking to him, and having him talk back, even if it's through someone else."

"Um, sure I guess."

Navi embraced her awkwardly, but Ilia's warm touch melted the awkwardness.

"Thank you, Navi. Thank you so much."

"…You're welcome."

"And thank you for listening, Link."

"WHOOOOOOOAAA! A GOAT GOT LOOSE!"

Link and Ilia whipped their heads toward the ranch path, and saw a goat charging down the hill toward them.

"IT'S HEADIN' FOR TOWN! SOMEBODY STOP IT!"

Link ran ahead and braced himself. The goat came tearing toward him, bleating in anger the whole way, but he grabbed it by the horns, yanked it up over his head, and threw it onto its side.

"Nice job. Good thing Dad didn't see that, or he would've docked Fado's wages."

The goat picked itself up and walked with its head low behind them as they made their way up the hill. Nineteen other goats were grazing in the pasture as they reached the ranch. The stray goat returned to its brothers while Ilia and Link removed the bridles and reins from the horses and turned them into the pasture. Fado came running toward them.

"Hey! Link! I didn't know you were here! Were you the one who stopped the goat?"

He nodded.

"That's great! Thanks for catchin' it so fast. I gotta get back to work, but come visit while you're here, okay? I'll catch you later, and you too Ilia."

"Good luck, Fado!" She called after him as he ran into the pasture. "Poor guy."

They turned around and walked down the hill to the village.

"I didn't recognize you, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"When you stopped the tree from falling on Colin and I. You look so different now. If you don't mind me asking, where did you get those clothes?"

"I, uh… got them while I was in Hyrule City."

"I hope they didn't cost too much."

"Not a single rupee."

"That's fortunate, but if you didn't buy them, how did you get them? And where did you find this beautiful sword?"

Ilia's hand went up to the Master Sword on Link's back. The moment her fingertips touched the sword's hilt, she yelped and yanked her hand away.

"OUCH!"

"What's wrong?!"

"Your sword! It shocked me!"

"It shocked you?"

"Yeah, it felt like when you rub your feet on carpet, then touch a door handle. Except it hurt a lot worse."

"Let me see."

He took her shocked hand and examined it, but there were no burns or marks.

"It still tingles a bit," she said, "but I think I'm okay. I've never heard of a sword electrocuting someone before."

"Master," Fi's voice echoed. "Please refrain from allowing anyone to touch the Master Sword. You are its only true holder, and no one else may lay a hand on it. Those who do will experience the same pain this girl did."

"Would've been nice to know that a little sooner."

"Know what sooner?" Ilia asked.

"Link says no one gets to touch the sword," Navi reiterated. "Except for him. Apparently it's special or something."

"Is that why it shocked me? That's the strangest sword I've ever laid eyes on. What kind of sword is it?"

"It's the Master Sword."

"The Master Sword? That sounds familiar, but why on earth do you have it?"

Ilia stopped walking.

"And since when have you been strong enough to lift falling trees? And that person who was with you; he told me his name is Sheik, and that you were going on a journey. Link, what is going on?"

Link and Navi looked at each other nervously.

"Should we tell her?"

"Tell me what? You know I don't like secrets."

Link took two giant steps toward Ilia and took her hands in his.

"I'm leaving, Ilia."

"Leaving? But where are you going? Do you know when you'll come home?"

"I have no idea, and from what I know, I'll be traveling through all of Hyrule."

"All…all of Hyrule?! Why?!"

"When I was in Hyrule City, Princess Zelda was kidnapped."

"That's terrible! Does anyone know who did it?"

"An evil man named Ganondorf took her, and I have to find him and stop him so I can save her."

"But why? It's not your job to rescue the Princess."

"Yes it is."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ilia, do you remember the last day I was able to talk?"

"Like it was yesterday."

"Do you remember how we were lying under the stars, and we talked about what we wanted to be when we grew up?"

"Of course I do. I still remember how you heard Rusl's story about the Hero of Time, and how you wanted to be just like the Hero when… you…"

Ilia's eyes widened. She took her hands from Link's and covered her face.

"Oh, don't tell me. Link, please don't say what I think you're going to say."

He shrugged.

"Good lord," she sighed. "The universe is playing tricks on us."

She exhaled and smiled awkwardly.

"Well, at least you got your wish, right?"

"That's one way of looking at it."

"Wow, I- I don't even know what to say. To think all those legends Rusl told us about were true… Is that how you got so strong, too?"

"That's because of these gloves I've wearing."

He took one of the golden gauntlets off and gave it to Ilia. She held the glove carefully as she traced her fingers over the gold plating covering the back.

"They're kind of pretty. May I try it on?"

"Sure. Just be careful."

She pulled the gauntlet over her hand, but there was empty space in the fingers and palm of the glove.

"I guess it's too big for me. Oh well, here goes."

"Here goes what?"

Ilia suddenly wrapped her arms around Link's chest, and started grunting as she pulled on him.

"Nnnnngh!"

"Ilia? What-?"

She went behind him and pushed on his shoulders, leaning against him as hard as she could.

"Herrrrrrrrgg!"

"Ilia, what in the world are you doing?"

"I'm trying," she grunted, "to pick you up and carry you, like you did with that tree, but it's not working."

"Maybe you need both gauntlets for it to work," Navi suggested.

Link took off the other glove before Ilia could ask, so she put it on and tried again, but had the same results.

"That's weird. Why don't they work?"

"Maybe it's like with your sword?" Navi guessed. "Maybe they won't work for anyone else except you."

"Oh well," Ilia said as she took the gauntlets off and returned them. "Thanks for letting me try. Since I can't use them on you, can you use them on me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I want you to throw me up and down in the air, like our parents used to do when we were kids."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it'll be fun! Please?"

Link smiled as he put the gauntlets back on, then took her in his arms and tossed her up. She went a foot in the air above his head.

"Come on, higher!"

He threw her a second time, and she went up about three feet.

"Higher, Link! Higher!"

Over and over Link threw Ilia into the air; five feet, ten feet, then twenty feet up, until she was flying over the tree line. She stretched her arms out and laughed every time she flew up. By the time Link sent her flying the twentieth time, she was laughing so hard tears poured from her eyes.

"Again! Do it again!"

Link, grinning from ear to ear, stooped down and gave a hearty toss. This time, she was sent sailing over a hundred feet up, and wobbled in the air as she came down.

"Oh crap! Too high!"

When he realized she wasn't coming straight back down to him, Link ran toward her with his arms out, trying to follow her descent. She fell into his arms, sending them both sprawling to the ground.

"Ilia! Are you okay?"

"That was amazing! I saw everything from up there! I bet if you threw me even higher, I'd be able to see Lon Lon Ranch!"

"No way! That was too scary! I didn't know if I would catch you that time!"

Ilia laughed and flopped onto her back. Link rolled over next to her.

"Hey, look," she said, taking his hand in hers. "That cloud looks kind of like a turtle."

"Oh yeah, it kinda does."

"And that one looks like a whale."

"Mmm, maybe a little."

"And that one looks like a heart."

"No it doesn't. That looks nothing like a-"

He felt her squeeze his hand, so Link turned onto his side. Ilia was smiling at him.

"Ilia…"

"Well well, so that's what's taking you lovebirds so long."

Both their heads shot up and saw Rusl and Sheik standing over them. Ilia jumped to her feet and brushed the dirt off her legs.

"I'm sorry!" she blurted. "We were just talking and got distracted. We didn't mean to forget about you."

Rusl laughed, "That's all right, but I will have to steal Link from you in a moment."

"Okay," she said quietly, blushing. "I think I'll go home and change. I'm soaked from the spring, and now I'm covered in dirt."

"No," said Sheik. "You're coming with me."

"Me? Why?"

"I want to head into the woods and get a better look at those flowers, and I need someone familiar with the forest to go with me."

"Are… are you sure you want me with you?" Ilia asked nervously. "I don't know how much help I would be."

"Rusl tells me you know the forest better than anyone else in the village."

"I don't know," she whispered. "If Dad finds out I went into the woods again, right after he yelled at me…"

"Don't worry about your father, sweety," Rusl smiled. "I'll talk to him for you. And besides," he knelt down next to Ilia's ear. "Sheik may look intimidating, but I promise he's a hundred percent safe. I trust him with my life."

At his assurance, Ilia relaxed and smiled.

"Okay. If you trust him, then I will too."

"While you two are doing that," Rusl said as he put his hand on Link's shoulder, "I'll work on training Link."

"Training?"

"If you're heading out to save the world, you'll need help using that sword. I can show you a thing or two."

"That's putting it mildly," Navi chirped.

"Gee, thanks."

She sang under her breath as Sheik and Ilia walked away.

"Link and Ilia sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-"

"Navi!"

"All right, I'll stop. Geez."

"What is with you today?"

"Nothing," she pouted. "I'm fine."

She jumped out from under his cap and put her hands on her hips.

"In fact, I feel so 'fine,' that I don't feel like talking for you today. I'm leaving."

"What?!"

"I'm going with Sheik, and we'll see how you get by without me. Stupid head."

And with that, she darted down the road.

"…What the heck did I do?"

Link looked over at Rusl pleadingly, but he only responded by gently slapping his shoulder.

"Before we start, would you mind if I had a look at your sword?"

"But I- I don't- but- ugh…"

He gave up, unsheathed the Master Sword and placed it flat side on both of his open palms.

"This is beautiful…" Rusl breathed, leaning forward to get a closer look. "Such workmanship! I can only dream of making something this perfect. I'd ask to hold it, but I know better."

Rusl stood upright and cleared his throat.

"Why don't we get to work? I doubt you'd have that Ordon Sword I made for you, so I'll fetch a few-"

Link touched Rusl's arm mid-sentence. He re-sheathed the Master Sword and pulled it out again, this time in the form of the Ordon Sword. Rusl's eyes popped when he watched the sword change shape in front of him.

"Oh my lord! This is- Link, how is this even possible?! I've read countless texts and books about the Master Sword, but I've never seen or read any passage claiming it can change shape! How in the world did you-"

He stopped when he noticed the puzzled look on Link's face.

"Ah, forgive me Link. I don't mean to go on about it, but as I'm a blacksmith by trade, you have no idea what an honor it is to see this sword for myself. But…" Rusl took a deep breath. "What is most important is for you to learn how to use it, and that is what I need to do right now. I'll get a sword from my workshop, then we can begin."

Navi flew up the dirt path and perched herself on Sheik's shoulder.

"Hello Navi. Is something wrong?"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"All right, then I won't bother you."

Their short-lived conversation ended and the three went through the quiet woods until they came to a virulent patch of flowers. Sheik stepped off the path and knelt into the patch.

"Please be careful," Ilia whispered.

He stared at the flowers, never blinking for a second. His hand went out for one and grabbed its stem.

"No! Don't!"

Sheik picked the flower before Ilia could stop him, and she braced herself. But nothing happened.

"Why didn't any of the trees fall?" she thought to herself.

"You call these Twilight Daisies?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Do you remember when these first appeared?"

"About seven years ago, almost to the day."

"That's a long time to let these get out of hand."

"We've tried getting rid of them, but-"

"It's all right. I didn't mean it like that. Besides…"

Sheik went silent, staring at the flower in his hand. Slowly, the flower began to wilt before their eyes. Its color faded as it shriveled up in his fingers and crumbled into dust.

"How did you…?"

"It's impossible for your village to destroy this infestation."

"There's no hope then? We'll have to leave after all…"

"Not so fast," Sheik said as he stood upright. "I said it's impossible for your village. That is not the case for Link and I. It'll be difficult, but we'll find a way."

"How will you do it?"

"I'm not sure. These aren't natural flowers."

Sheik plucked another flower and stared it down, and it too wilted into nothingness. He mumbled something under his breath.

"I'm sorry?" Ilia asked, "I didn't quite catch that."

Instead of repeating himself, Sheik moved to a nearby tree, avoiding the flowers under his steps. He put his hand on the trunk and closed his eyes. Ilia watched as he stood as still as the tree he was leaning on. After what felt like an eternity, Sheik finally opened his eyes.

"Whatever we do, we'd better do it soon. I'd give it a few weeks until every tree is rotted from the inside out."

Ilia's heart broke at his words, and her chest slumped.

"The only thing keeping this forest alive is a withering source of magic, and it grows weaker every minute."

"What source is that?"

"Ilia, will you take me to the spring?"

"Of course."

She hastened up the road, so Sheik followed at her heel as she led the way down the fork to the derelict spring. The rock waterfall had all but dried up; only a trickle of water dripped into the shallow pool, dyed a sickly green.

"This is what's left of it," Ilia said quietly. "I wish you could've seen it in its heyday."

Sheik walked past her and stepped into the water, wading through until he came to the center, and stood motionless.

"I know you're there," he said. "Show yourself, if you can."

Ilia looked around in all directions, but the only sounds were of the trickling waterfall and a distant bird chirping. Sheik looked up into the break of the trees at the sun shining down on the spring.

"I don't know if that means they can't," he said, "Or they won't."

"Won't what?"

"Show themselves."

"Is someone here with us?"

"Not someone. Something."

Ilia glanced at the far end of the spring, and gasped.

"Look!"

Sheik turned to where she pointed. Lying on its side beneath the dribbling waterfall was a golden wolfos. The light from its body flickered dimly. The animal's chest heaved up and down as it struggled to breath.

"Its hurt!" Ilia ran toward it, but Sheik grabbed her shoulder.

"Don't approach so carelessly. That's no ordinary wolfos."

"Then what is it?"

"That's the Spirit of the Spring."

"All the more reason to help it!"

She wrestled her arm free of Sheik's grasp and ran to the wolfos, kneeling down next to it.

"It's okay," she said, petting the wolfos. "We want to help."

The wolfos turned its head to look up at Ilia. Though its mouth didn't move, a weak female voice rose from its throat.

"…Please…"

Sheik knelt down beside Ilia.

"Great Spirit. This forest is suffering, and you are suffering. Tell us what we must do to end this pain, and make you whole again."

"…Hero…Link…"

"Yes, the Hero of Time is with us. He will help you. We will do as you command. You need only ask."

The wolfos turned its burning red eyes to Sheik, and spoke wearily.

"Find… find the sage… the Sage of Light… and play my song…"

The wolfos laid its head down, and went back to struggling for breath.

"What do you mean?" Ilia pleaded. "Who's the Sage of Light? Where do we find them? Please, we need more information."

"Leave it be," Sheik said as he stood upright. "We must go."

"But we can't just leave her here! She's dying!"

"The only way to help the spirit is to find the sage. It needs to rest, and we have work to do."

Ilia gave a last tearful look at the exhausted wolfos before reluctantly standing up.

"Don't worry! We'll find the Sage of Light! We'll search high and low, and we'll bring them here! I promise!"

"Luckily, it won't come to that," Sheik replied as they waded back across the spring.

"What do you mean?"

"The Sage of Light will be someone close by, someone who lives near the spring."

"That's good," Ilia sighed. "There are only a few people living in the village, but how do we find out which one of us is the sage?"

"My hope is to bring the people of the village to the spring. Then, when Link and I play the spirit's song, the Sage of Light will awaken and reveal themselves."

"Do you know what the spirit's song is?"

"I do."

Sheik stopped in the road.

"Ilia, I didn't bring you with me just to be my guide. I need to ask you some things."

"Oh, um… All right."

"I know it's a bit personal, but it's for Link's sake so I hope you'll bear with me. Rusl told me you were with Link the day he lost his voice."

"I was."

"If you could, I'd like you to tell me the events of that day."

"To tell you the truth," she said, "I don't remember a lot of what happened that day."

"Try to, if you can."

Sheik sat cross-legged on the dirt path, so Ilia sat down in front of him.

"It's very important that you remember what happened that day."

"Well, Rusl told you a tree branch pierced his throat, right?"

"He did."

"And the doctor who operated on Link told us he removed Link's larynx. I don't remember the reason why b-"

"I already know all this, Ilia. I want to know what your side of the story is."

"Why do you want to know about this so much?"

"How familiar are you with anatomy?"

"I, um…" She scratched her head before answering. "I guess I don't really know much beyond 'heads, shoulders, knees and toes.'"

"Do you know what a larynx is?"

"The doctor told us it's the part of the throat that makes it so people can talk."

"That is correct, but only half so."

"What do you mean?"

"The larynx is responsible for forming the vocal cords, yes, but it plays another vital function in the tracheal system. Aside from making phonation possible, the larynx is supposed to form a protective barrier in the pharynx, so that foreign objects can't enter the trachea."

"I'm sorry, Sheik," Ilia scratched her head again. "But I don't follow."

"Put simply, if someone didn't have their larynx, not only would they not be able to talk, but they'd breath their food into their lungs and eat their air into their stomach."

"Well that doesn't sound very good."

"I should think not, since doing so results in death."

Ilia froze.

"Wait a minute. What are you trying to say?"

"What I'm trying to say is that either Link is the medical miracle of the century, and has somehow found a way to live without such a vital organ, or―and this is the more likely case―the doctor lied to you, and Link still has his larynx."

"But, why would the doctor lie to us?"

"He probably knew you'd look to him for answers when Link went silent, and said the first thing he could think of, hoping no one would be able to correct him."

"If Link still has his larynx, why can't he talk anymore?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out, and it's why I'm talking with you. You were there the day the tree fell on Link, so you have an eyewitness account to what happened. Even the smallest detail could be important. Why don't you start by telling me the events of the day leading up to it?"

One of the prettier cottages in the village is attached to the windmill that churns the water on the bank of the river. The door of this cottage cracked open, and Beth poked her head out. She tiptoed out and slowly closed the door behind her, then sprinted up the road toward the north end of the village. She stopped at the bottom of the hill, and saw Link whacking at a straw-filled dummy with his sword. Rusl stood to the side giving him directions, and Colin watched while he sat beside his father on a tree stump.

"You think you got it? Now try a vertical slice."

Beth ran up the hill around the side―to avoid the training area―and up to Colin.

"Move over," she demanded. "I wanna watch."

Colin scooted over on the giant stump, and she smoothed the cord of her belt as she sat daintily beside him.

"I thought your mom was mad," he whispered.

"She is," Beth whispered back, "But I managed to escape. What's it to you?"

"I just hope you don't get in more trouble."

"I just wanna see Link. I don't care if I get in trouble for that. What're they doing?"

"Dad's showing Link how to use his new sword."

"Didn't he make that sword for him?"

"Yeah."

"Keep your stance wide," said Rusl. "Balance is the key, Link. Don't ever forget that."

Link bent his knees and lowered his body.

"Now try a horizontal slice."

Link swung the sword from the left to the right, striking the dummy across the stomach.

"You're a bit heavy-handed there. Your grip should be firm, but light."

Link tried the slice again, striking this time from right to left, but the sword flew out of his hand and clattered to the ground.

"Don't worry," Rusl smiled. "It's okay to make mistakes. That's why we're practicing."

"For just the basics, this is intense."

Link went to fetch the sword, and came back to the dummy.

"Normally I'd have you stick with the dummy for a few sessions, but since you won't be here that long we'll have to accelerate things." Rusl drew a sword from the scabbard at his belt. "I just wish Talon would've let me start training you sooner."

"So do I."

"But time can't be helped," Rusl said as he approached Link. "So we'll just make up for it. Take your stance."

Link placed his left foot and arm forward. Rusl clacked the blade of his sword against Link's.

"We're going to do a simple exercise. All you have to do is keep your sword against mine, and walk."

Rusl took a big step forward on his right foot, forcing Link to take a step back.

"It's simple in theory, though not so much in practice. When I step forward with my right foot, you step back with your left. Vice versa when I step with my left, and for when I'm the one stepping back. While we're doing this, I want you to pay close attention to maintaining your stance. Now let's give it a try."

This time, Rusl stepped back with his right foot, and Link followed forward.

"Keep those legs bent. It's harder than it sounds, isn't it?"

"You're telling me."

"The real trick is not to watch what my feet are doing, but to watch what I'm doing. Don't ever take your eyes off your opponent in battle, not even for a second."

The exercise was easy enough at first. Rusl followed a pattern of moving his right foot forward and back, alternating to his left foot, then returning to his right. But once Link was able to follow well enough, Rusl started changing the pattern. He'd take two steps forward, three steps back, one step, four steps, three steps, then he'd walk forward and force Link back, until he found himself moving backward down the hill, before going back again.

They started toward the hill a second time when a root embedded in the dirt caught Link's foot. He twisted in the air, landed on his side, and slid a foot down the hill. Beth leapt from the tree stump and rushed over to him.

"Link! Are you okay?"

Link rubbed his sore hip and nodded. Beth pointed a finger at Rusl.

"You should be more careful training him! He could've gotten hurt!"

Rusl chuckled at her outburst. "Link is good and strong, Beth. You don't have to worry. I promise to take good care of him."

"You better, or I'll make you regret it!"

"First Uli, then Malon, and now Beth. I've surrounded myself with such strong-willed women."

Rusl smiled warmly, then extended his hand to Link. "Shall we continue?"

Link took his hand and stood up. He brushed the dirt from his tunic, and the two resumed their sword-walk. Shortly after they began, Sheik came walking up the hill.

"Welcome back," Rusl said as he took his steps. "Learn anything?"

"A great deal. Ilia was very helpful."

"Where is she?"

"She's right here."

Sheik pointed a thumb behind him, but Rusl scratched his head.

"No she isn't. There's no one behind you."

Sheik whirled around, and saw no Ilia.

"She was there a minute ago. Where'd she go?"

"Did she perhaps return to the spring?" Rusl asked.

"We were just there. She has no reason to go back."

"Maybe she went back to her own house," Colin suggested shyly.

"She told me she wanted to come back here," Sheik replied.

"And besides," Beth pointed out. "I wouldn't want to be around her dad if I was her. He's still pretty mad."

"Is she at least in the village?"

"I don't know," Sheik admitted. "I thought she was behind me the whole time."

"Maybe she really did go back to the spring. We know how she is about that place."

"I hope not. The spring isn't the safest place to be right now. The spirit of the spring has grown weak, and the infestation in the woods is reeking with magic."

"All the more reason to check. If Ilia went back into the woods, we need to get her in the village ASAP."

"I'll go look."

Link dropped the Ordon Sword, which changed back into the Master Sword the moment it left his fingers, and ran down the hill toward the path.

"Link, wait! Don't go without your sword!"

Link didn't hear Shiek call after him. He was already halfway out of the village.

"Let's hope he won't need it," said Rusl.

"We can't just leave it on the ground like this. How do we move it?"

"I'll figure something out. Let me see if I can carry it into my workshop."

Link darted through the woods, stopping to search through the trees, then went on sprinting.

"I hope Ilia's okay. It's not like her to just disappear. If only I could call out to her…"

He ran up to a sapling and shook it. Then he snatched a rock from the dirt and threw it against a thick tree trunk.

"Maybe if I make as much noise as possible, she'll hear me and and come toward the noise."

A thought occurred to Link. His running slowed to a jog, a long stride, and he finally stopped.

"Wait… where's Navi? Why wasn't she with Shiek?"

He looked around frantically through the woods, hoping to catch a glimpse of her bright blue body, but all he saw was the sickening glow of the Twilight Daisies.

"God, I hope she's okay. Maybe… maybe she's with Ilia. If they're lost, at least they're lost together."

He took up his run again in the direction of the spring.

"I can't call out to Ilia, but I can call for Navi. I just have to find her."

He cupped his hands instinctively around his mouth, but dropped them when he remembered it would do no good.

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

He stopped again at a break in the trees and aimed his thoughts into the woods beyond the path.

"I'm sorry if I made you mad! I really am! I don't know what I did wrong, but if you just tell me what it is, I'll try to make it right! Please, just talk to me!"

No answer came from the trees. No bird or animal cried. No insect skittered away from his feet. The woods were silent.

"This doesn't feel right. I have to find Ilia and Navi, before something happens. I just hope Ilia's not crushed under a tree someplace."

Link jumped off the path and ran into woods, darting past trees as he went. His head shook left and right again, looking for any sign of Ilia or Navi.

"Navi! Navi, please be okay! If you can hear me, please say something! Navi! NAVI!"

Link's foot gave way underneath him and he felt himself fall forward. He braced his arms out to land on his hands into the patch of flowers before him. But he did not land. His hands went straight through the flowers and into the dirt, followed by his arms and the rest of his body. He half-expected to belly flop onto the forest floor, but had no such jarring impact. Wind was whipping all around him. The forest had vanished, and he was free-falling through a dark, glittering golden sky, with no ground anywhere in sight.

"Where… where am I?!"

A pain jolted through his foot, making him wince. He reached for the afflicted foot and gritted his teeth.

"That's weird. Did I hurt myself falling through the flowers?"

The same pain then erupted from his hands.

"Agh! My hands! It hurts!"

The pain spread quickly up his arms and legs, into his torso. He felt every bone breaking and resetting. He gasped for breath, and hot tears sprang from his eyes as his body was crushed and molded by an unseen force. Through the pain and tears he glimpsed down at his foot, but it had disappeared, and in its place was a big hairy paw.

"WHAT IS- WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?! AAAAAAAGH!"

He didn't think anymore, and could only scream internally as his arms changed into fur-covered legs. His shoulders hunched in, forcing his arms forward and his elbows into his chest. His spine grew and his legs shrank. His nose and mouth popped out into a muzzle.

The last thing Link saw before he passed out was a black tower piercing the twilight of the sky.