Author's Note: This is Part 2 of this special trilogy. It's inspired by the new GBC games. It follows the storylines (though it's intertwined with Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask), but it also contains a couple of side stories of my own that I hope will help make this series very special.


2nd Note: Here's hoping SOME of my readers are still around. -_-


Link continued that long walk into a small village. This wasn't Kakariko by any stretch of the imagination. This was a whole new place. It must have been Horon Village.

Link still felt a little dizzy from the collisions earlier. His head was still spinning and that's probably why he didn't notice something that should have been obvious to anyone.

"Um…Link?" Tatl began. "Wasn't it just snowing a minute ago?"

Link suddenly realized that his fairy friend was right. When he woke up earlier, he was buried in snow and the lakes were nothing more than sheets of ice. But as soon as Link walked into Horon Village…everything was dry…and sunny. Link had stumbled onto…spring.

"You don't think this has anything to do with our Oracle of Seasons, do you?" Link asked curiously.

"Oh, let's see," Tatl expressed sarcastically. "One minute it's winter, the next we're in spring. Yeah, I think this has something to do with the Oracle of Seasons, what's-her-name."

"Din."

"Whatever. So which way is this Maku Tree?"

"Hey, did somebody say they were looking for the Maku Tree?"

Link stopped when he heard that…familiar voice. He looked up on the roof of a nearby cottage and found…a trio of birds perched up there. But Link couldn't piece together where he had heard that voice.

"Um…yeah," Link finally said. "We're looking for the Maku Tree. Can you help us?"

"Of course we can help you," the lead bird said confidently. "After all, we ARE the Know-It-All birds!"

Link raised an eyebrow. He was starting to understand. "Know-It-All birds? Uh…what's your name?"

"My name's Dore," the bird answered. "These are my two brothers, Dila and Sofa. And you're in luck, my friend, because you just happened to stumble onto the smartest of the eight Know-It-All birds."

It was some coincidence. These three birds shared the names of the three Kokiri Know-It-All brothers back home. Not only that, though, but this bird had Dore's exact voice. Link would recognize it anywhere.

"Hey!"

Link turned his head to see the smallest of the three birds…trying to take a bite out of Tatl. Tatl promptly responded by smacking the bird across the beak.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Tatl snapped. "Do I look like dinner to you?"

"Sorry," the bird said. It had Sofa's voice, so it must have been the bird of the same name. "There haven't been any worms around and a bird's gotta eat, you know."

"You're birds," Tatl shot back. "If you want to eat, have someone regurgitate dinner for you!" She flew over to Link and let out an impatient groan. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Link finally remembered why he was there. "So…where can I find the Maku Tree?"

Dore pointed to his left. "The Maku Tree's that way. Just keeping going east and you can't miss it."

"Thanks."

"But…I don't think you'll be able to go in."

Link turned back. "Why not?"

"'Tis the way of the Maku Tree: Only those who demonstrate courage can go in."

Dila cut in. "Translation: You need a sword."

"I have a sword," Link pointed out. Unfortunately, when he reached for his sword…he found emptiness. Link couldn't understand it, but then it hit him. In the battle with Veran, the sorceress knocked Link's sword out of his hand. And he couldn't recover it before being sucked into the gateway. Link's sword was still in Termina and Link was unarmed.

"Now what?!" Tatl growled. "Where are we supposed to find a sword?!"

"Go down that way," Dila said, pointing west. "The Hero's Cave shouldn't be too far. And there, you can find a mighty sword."

"Hey, who's the smart one around here?" Dore snapped. He turned back to Link. "So once you have your sword, you can go in and see the Maku Tree. Good luck…uh…what's your name?"

"Link."

"Link? Whoa…just like that legend. Good luck, Link."

Link bade the birds farewell and made his way westward. But as he and Tatl were leaving, Link heard an interesting conversation starting up between the three brothers.

"Hey, he IS like the legend, isn't he?"

"Right down to the tunic! Hey, Dore…you don't think…?"

"Nah, couldn't be. That wouldn't be possible. At least I don't think so."

Link heard the birds last words, and couldn't help but think about them as he kept walking. He started to get the feeling Tatl had earlier. Something wasn't right…and there was something he didn't know.


Saria finally crossed into the other side. She was back in the Forest Temple and back in her friends' room where she tried to bring Link back. The room was still empty with two notable exceptions: Malon and the fairy called Tael.

"Saria, what happened?" Malon asked.

Saria took a deep breath. "I sent Link…into the future."

A gleam of hope came into Malon's eye. "So…he's alive?"

"As far as I know," Saria replied. "But I'll still have to get him back. And it won't be easy, but it looks like I have to do it on my own."

"Is there anything I can do?" Malon offered.

Saria thought about that. She could have asked Malon to keep an eye on the door to make sure she wasn't interrupted, but her friends, Somi, Mira, and Sodo were already doing that. Then Saria thought of something.

"You can answer one question for me," Saria began. "Why were you and Link in Termina in the first place?"

Malon frowned. "We didn't exactly mean to go there."

"But why were you two around there in the first place? How did you two reach the gateway?"

It seemed that Malon hardly knew the answers herself, but then she spoke up again. "Link brought me into the Lost Woods…blindfolded. He said he had a surprise for me. Then…I suddenly heard him screaming…and almost cursing. I took the blindfold off and found that something had been dug up. I think Link had something in there for me…but it was probably stolen."

Tael suddenly gulped. "Um…s-stolen?"

Malon nodded. "Yeah…stolen."

Saria went over and picked up a small box, containing the three masks Sofa found. "This box was brought to me earlier, but Sofa said he dug it up himself and that was after you and Link got stuck in Termina. Whatever Link was looking for, it had to have been stolen earlier."

Tael slowly flew towards the farm girl. "Um…what was your name again?"

"Malon."

The timid Tael suddenly flew a few inches lower. "M-Malon? I…think…I know what you may be talking about."

"What do you mean?" Malon asked curiously.

"Well…my sister and our friend, the Skull Kid, were pretty bored one day and we went digging around the Lost Woods. The Skull Kid got lucky and he found something. It was a box with the inscription: To my beloved Malon…from Link. The Skull Kid and I never told my sister, because I thought she still felt something for Link and would want to leave the box behind. But I couldn't resist that opportunity. So…we took the box."

Saria saw the range of emotions that Malon was going through at that moment. Malon wasn't happy about this at all and Saria could empathize. This fairy and his Skull Kid friend had stolen from her…and Link.

"Why?" Malon asked a little more angrily. "That box didn't belong to you!"

"I-I know," Tael stammered. "Forgive us. We're recovering kleptomaniacs. But the road to recovery hasn't been an easy one. Besides, there's been no one to steal from anymore. The Kokiri have steered clear for years. We just had to take something. I'm sorry."

Malon hung her head down. "Link wanted to give something to me. But now it looks like I'll never know what it was. I don't even know if I'll see Link again."

"You'll see Link again," Saria said comfortingly. "Trust me. I can do this."

"You know…" Tael added. "You probably CAN see your box again."

Malon raised her head. "Really?"

"The Skull Kid probably still has it stashed away somewhere," Tael pointed out. "If you follow me out of here, I can take you to him. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to give it back."

That was the first good news that Malon probably heard since this whole thing started and Saria couldn't be happier for her. The poor farm girl had endured a lot.

Malon wanted to go, but she looked towards Saria anyway. "Will you be ok?"

"I'll be fine," Saria giggled. "You just go and get your box back."

Malon seemingly didn't want to go. She looked like she wanted to see how everything would go. But Tael had a grip on her index finger and was leading her out the door.

"Come on, Malon. This won't take long…I think."

Malon and Tael left the room and that would seemingly leave Saria all the privacy she needed. She was ready to get to work on recovering her friend from the future. Of course, Saria didn't expect the sudden noise to come from outside.

"Malon? Is that you?"

"Where did you come from?"

"We didn't even see you come in?"

It was Saria's friends. They were obviously surprised that Malon was here, and that meant that this wasn't the best place for privacy. Then Saria got a bright idea. Maybe she could be in…a bigger room. The Forest Sage made her choice. She would change locations and go down to the old chamber where Link defeated the Phantom Ganondorf. There, she would easily have plenty of space to work with.

So the Forest Sage picked up and walked out, ready to persevere.


"Well…" Tatl chuckled nervously as they approached the home of the Maku Tree. "It could have been worse."

Link wasn't amused by any means. "Worse? I almost fell off into a bottomless pit, almost got killed by a large Keese, and was almost buried by a giant Gel. And for what?" He reached in and pulled out his… "A WOODEN sword!"

"Hey, wood's a lot stronger than it looks, you know," Tatl shot back. "You just have know how to master it…without breaking it."

Link still wasn't smiling. He didn't like risking his life for a sword he could have easily crafted himself. Nonetheless, though, he kept on going until he finally reached the Maku Tree's ground. Sure enough, as Dore said, there was a sign that said entrance would be granted to those with courage. Link took his new weapon and carved his way in.

Link stepped in and Tatl flew in right behind him. Then they found the Maku Tree. He wasn't enormous in size like the Deku Tree, but he was still a sight to behold. Link also noticed something else. From the huge bubble coming from the Maku Tree's nose, it was obvious that he was in the middle of a nap.

Tatl flew in front of Link and groaned. "Great! We go through all this trouble and this stupid tree's asleep!"

Of course, instant karma would always come back to bite anybody, even fairies. So it was no surprise that one of the bubbles coming from the Maku Tree's nose…came closer and closer to Tatl…until…

**POP**

Link almost cringed when he saw the snot bubble pop and spread all over Tatl. Tatl wasn't taking that very well.

"EW!!" Tatl retched. "I'm covered in…tree snot!" Link knew her well. She didn't take kindly to mucus. It was just like the day she and Link fought off the Wart in Great Bay Temple back when Link was a kid. Tatl wasn't reacting any better this time, either. She flew over towards the Maku Tree. "WAKE UP!!!"

The Maku Tree slowly opened his eyes. "Who IS that? Such a LOUD voice!"

"I am NOT loud!" Tatl snapped.

The Maku Tree spied Link. "You…who are you?"

"Uh…my name is Link. I was sent here because the Oracle of Seasons was taken."

"What?!" the Maku Tree gasped. "Din was taken while I slept?" Then the Maku Tree closed his eyes. "There's no sign of the Temple of Seasons, either. This is awful! Guarding the Oracle is my duty."

"So you were sleeping on the job?" Tatl muttered under her breath.

"What is to be done, Link?" the Maku Tree continued. "With the seasons in chaos, the land is robbed of the very essence of nature, draining all of my might! Can you save Din in my stead? It is all this Maku Tree has ever asked."

Link didn't hesitate. "I'll save her."

The Maku Tree closed his eyes again. "I sense evil on the Northern Peak, where the Temple of Seasons rested. Onox has cast a shadow on the Northern Peak. I think you will find him there. You'll need the eight Essences of Nature that lie sleeping in Holodrum. Gathering all eight is the only option. The essences possess the sacred power of nature, with which you can break the shadow barrier and save Din. I shall give you this Gnarled Key. Go to the giant root near the lake up north. The first essence should be there, but I'd expect some resistance. Be careful! I'll just…rest…until…no energy."

The Maku Tree fell into a deep sleep, just as a small key came down. Link picked it up and pocketed it. He learned a lot from that Maku Tree. Though Link didn't know the first thing about eight Essences of Nature, he knew he had to find them or else he would never reach Din. If Link didn't reach Din, then the seasons would remain in chaos. More than that, though, Link couldn't go back to Hyrule without Din. He had to get her first before he could go home.

Link was ready to go on and begin his next quest, but someone was missing. "Tatl?"

"Hold on, hold on," Tatl slurred. "Just got to dry myself off." Tatl was drying the snot off her body using a nearby fig leaf. As soon as she was dry, she flew back to Link. "So…what's the plan?"

"There's a giant lake up north," Link answered. "I guess we go there first."

Link started moving away and towards his new destination. It was time for him to begin another quest…another impromptu quest.

Tatl summed it up quite well. "Just like old times."


Rauru looked around the empty Chamber of the Sages. He saw nothing, heard only silence…and all he could think about was the latest turn in the Hero of Time's destiny. Though Saria was blaming herself for what happened, the old Sage of Light couldn't help but think that it was all meant to happen. Fate always worked in mysterious ways and this was no different.

However, it wasn't until Saria left that Rauru began to wonder if the Forest Sage…would need any help. So he made a call to one of the other sages. And sure enough…she arrived in short order.

Standing on the platform of her medallion was the Sage of Shadow, Impa. Rauru knew that she would be ready for anything and he knew she would be ready for this…special task.

"It's been a while, Rauru," Impa grinned. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"We have a problem," Rauru explained. "What I thought would be an excellent way to test out the Forest Sage's prowess has deteriorated into a dire situation. While I have told young Saria that she needs to handle this on her own, I believe it has become painfully clear that we'll need the power of all six sages."

"What are we dealing with?" Impa asked.

"The Hero of Time and his maiden found themselves stuck in the land of Termina with no way to return to Hyrule. I had Saria attempt to bring them back, but it appears that fate has intervened and sent Link five hundred years into the future…to the land of Holodrum."

"That was the land that was just discovered," Impa observed. "I heard crews were sent to map out the area. You're saying Link was sent there?"

"The future of Holodrum…and Hyrule is in danger, I fear. I believe the Hero of Time was sent to save the future. However, there is currently no way to bring him back. Saria is currently trying to open a portal to that point of time, but there is always the danger of opening it too soon or too late."

"So you want me to help Saria?" Impa asked.

"There is still a piece of this puzzle that remains missing," Rauru sighed. "I have foreseen that there is another who can help us. However, until I can figure everything out, I need you to help Saria while the rest of the sages stand by."

Impa sighed. "I'll do whatever I can."

"Thank you, Impa. I shall contact you and Saria the moment I find out anything."

Rauru watched as another circle of light formed. Impa stepped into the light that was sure to lead into the Forest Temple. Rauru had a lot of confidence in the sages, but he had to wonder…what answer was he missing? Who was this other person he was sensing?

Hopefully he would find those answers…before it was too late.


"We've only been out here for a few hours and you're telling me we're already LOST?!"

Link was hearing the complaints for hours on end. He didn't know how to navigate the vast land of Holodrum and he quickly found himself lost in North Horon. But that's when Link caught a break. He found a small shack and decided to ask for directions.

The inside had a familiar scent. It was the aroma of cucco feed, something Link hadn't been around since he left Lon Lon Ranch. There were several cuccos inside the shack and they were running around like they had their heads cut off.

"Come on!" a woman pleaded. "Get in the pen!"

A familiar redhead shoved the cuccos into a small pen. She raised her head and saw Link standing at the door. Link knew she held a close resemblance to a very special someone.

"…Malon?"

"I'm Malon," she said. "Do I know you?"

Link had been faced with this situation before. He was in a strange world with someone who looked like Malon. But in his heart, he knew it wasn't the same girl. This was someone else.

"No…you don't. I-I'm Link."

Malon smiled. "The name sounds familiar. I think my dad may have told me about someone named Link. I wonder where he is, anyway? He should be back by now. Anyway, can I help you?"

Link scratched the back of his head nervously. "I'm…kinda lost. I'm looking for an old fortress. It looks like a pile of gnarled branches."

"You must mean THAT old place," Malon sighed. "It's out west. What do you need to go out there for?"

There was hesitation. Link didn't want to reveal anything. "Uh…no reason."

Malon crossed her arms, a familiar expression Link's Malon would have. "Well, if you're not doing anything, I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"W-What's that?"

Malon walked over to a small cabinet and pulled out something Link hadn't seen in years. It was a weird-looking egg. She took the egg and handed it to Link.

"This is a rare cucco egg. I want you to carry it around for me."

"We can't be taking an egg around," Tatl growled. "We're busy."

"Then at least find someone to take care of it for me," Malon suggested. "I'm sure you'll meet someone on your way."

Link took the cucco egg and gingerly placed it with the rest of his limited inventory. The egg wouldn't crack in there and there would be plenty of time to incubate it. The trick would be to find someone to take care of it.

"I'll do that. Thank you, Malon."

Malon smiled again, warming Link's heart. "There's something familiar about you. I don't know what it is…but I feel like I should know you."

Link inched slowly towards the door. "I…should leave."

Malon picked up a sack of feed and walked over to the pen, but not before waving farewell. "Good luck…Link."

With the goodbye out of the way, Link left the small shack. However, he had to contemplate what he was feeling. This wasn't his Malon. But he did feel something for her. Though, it wasn't the same feeling he had for his beloved. It was something else…and he couldn't figure out what it was.


"So is this the place?"

Link walked up to what looked like a pile of gnarled branches. This looked like exactly what he was looking for. He took out his Gnarled Key and wondered where he could possibly place it.

"Hey, Link!" Tatl called out. "Have you tried this?"

The fairy was pointing at a keyhole among a pile of branches. Link shrugged. He figured there was nothing to lose, so he just placed the key in…and that resulted in an explosion. Link and Tatl gasped as the pile of gnarled branches was blown away…leaving an opening.

"I think that's our cue," Link said ominously. "Are you ready?"

Tatl gulped. "Don't have much of a choice. Besides, I can't let you go it alone. Let's go."

Tatl perched herself on Link's shoulder. Link was surprised at how much she was sitting there. She never used to do that when they ventured through Termina. Link started to wonder if she had changed.

"Well, what you waiting for?! An invitation?!"

Link shrugged. There was still some of that old Tatl left in the spunky fairy. Taking one more deep breath, Link walked into the dungeon…and wondered just what he was about to get himself into.


Author's Note: I hope to have the next chapter by next week. Cross your fingers!


Any comments? Mail me at HyruleKokiri13@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!