Author's Note:

While I stick very closely to the HTTYD movie/TV show lore, I take liberties with the LoZ elements. Please read with an open mind, as if this were a new game.

New chapters on Wednesdays. The whole thing, 30 chapters plus Prologue, is written and will be posted!

The wide staircase wound down at least fifty feet around the perimeter of the circular room. Lit with numerous blue sconces, it gave the impression of descending into an underwater grotto, which made the dry fountain in the center of the room seem even more out of place. Hiccup stared at the sculpture in the fountain as they crept down the staircase. The craftsmanship surpassed even what they had accomplished on Berk; it looked like the three women were frozen in stone.

"Who are these women?" Hiccup asked. "They keep showing up."

"Those are the golden goddesses—Nayru, Farore, and Din—the creators of Hyrule. They," Link took a shuddering breath. "They're the ones who called me."

Hiccup found himself shying away from the grand women. Even frozen in stone, they emanated a terrifying aura. At the foot of the enormous statues stood a humble figure. Though cut from the same stone and given the same care in craftsmanship, this fourth woman, even with a pair of wings at her sides, seemed more approachable than the terribly beautiful trio above. Hiccup stopped in front of her.

"That's Hylia," Link said. "The Goddess Reborn. While the three golden goddesses created the worlds, Hylia was specifically tasked with protecting it."

"I thought that was your job."

"It is."

"So what does she do?"

Link paused and stared at Hiccup. The goddess had sometimes revealed herself in Hylian form as a reincarnation in the royal line. Other times, Hylian princesses gained inexplicable power and claimed it was Hylia. But that was the stuff of legends.\

"You see that?" Link asked, pointing to part of the relief. Hiccup squinted, then nodded. It was the same design as on the front doors: one large equilateral triangle made up of three smaller ones stacked on each other. "That's the symbol of the Triforce, divine power given only during a time of great need."

Hiccup's head bobbed in sudden recognition. "Don't you have that on your—"

In response, Link held up his left hand. The same triangle within a triangle glowed dully through his fingerless gloves. Hiccup had spotted the bright triangle in the fight with the shadow beast and had thought it was a feature of the gloves. He also hadn't noticed the two dimmer triangles. Pointing to the triangle on the right, the brightest of the three, Link said, "This is the Triforce of Courage." He touched the triangle on the left which was barely more than a dull glow. "Princess Zelda has the Triforce of Wisdom."

"She's the one you're looking for?"

Link nodded.

Hiccup eyed the top triangle, dull like the Triforce of Wisdom. "Who has the last piece?" he asked.

A shadow covered Link's face. "Ganon."

"Wait, isn't he your enemy?" The hero nodded again. "Why would he have a piece?"

Link shuffled forward. "If the one who tries to take it is unworthy, it breaks, and the pieces seek out one who embodies that quality."

Hiccup rested his chin on his hand. "So, when Ganon stole it, he was left with only one piece. Which was…?"

"Power."

Hiccup's eyebrows dropped flat as the horizon. "Well, that doesn't sound good." His gaze lingered on the face of Hylia another moment before turning away.

Leaving the fountain behind, they came to the far side of the rotunda and stopped at a precipice, careful not to trip into a channel running from the fountain to the edge. About a thousand feet away, a modest doorway allowed bright daylight to filter in.

Link breathed a sigh of relief as he saw their escape. They were almost through. Hopefully they could get through without too many more questions. That bit about the Triforce was cutting it close.

"That's our exit," Link said, gesturing towards the door. Between them, a dark chasm gaped. Several round platforms floated in open space, some near the ceiling, some in the middle of the air, some halfway in a wall.

"Once we get those platforms moving, we can ride them across," Link explained.

Hiccup crossed his arms. "Couldn't have been a simple bridge, now could it?"

"Now where's the fun in that?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes but smirked back. "Alright, then. How does this work?"

Link turned back toward the room. "Sometimes there's a lever or a—"

"Don't tell me. A gem?"

"Alright," Link said, holding up his hands. "I won't say it."

Hiccup shook his head in disbelief. "This place is weird."

"I won't argue with you there." So they were stuck here a little longer. Link prayed that they'd find the solution quickly. Everything about this room smothered him. He felt his nerves getting tighter by the minute; he couldn't keep up the carefree façade much longer.

Hiccup started by inspecting the floor, no trick pavers or tiles; the ceiling, no grids; the walls… Now, the walls were interesting. Frozen reliefs portrayed half a dozen boys from children to adolescents all bearing the Triforce of Courage on their hands, all clad in the same tunic, belt, and knee-high boots.

Hiccup giggled. "That's some hat," he said, motioning to the droopy, pointed head piece.

Link barely looked up. He had been so eager to wear those garments and join their ranks, and now here he was, twice as old as some of those legends with nothing to show for it. He felt the judgmental stares of the statues as if they were the live heroes taunting him. "It's part of the hero's clothes."

"So why aren't you wearing it?"

Link knew he didn't mean it that way—it was just an innocent question— but it felt like an accusation, and every probing inquiry was like poking an open wound. He took a shuddering breath, forcing his nerves back into submission. "It's easier to stay hidden if I'm not shouting my presence everywhere I go." It had been Impa's idea. He had traded safety for identity and lost part of himself along the way.

"That… makes sense," Hiccup replied as he continued to canvas the room for clues.

Link forced himself to breathe. Keep it together, Link. Just find the solution and get out of here.

Hiccup stared at the channel they had walked over. Finally, he said, "It's a water chute."

Link turned. "What?"

Hiccup pointed. "See, the water would run from the fountain down this channel and turn the wheel to move the platforms." Link followed Hiccup's gestures. Indeed, hiding in the shadows of the chasm was the top of a giant wheel. When put like that, it did make a lot of sense. Why hadn't he seen that? Sloppy and unobservant.

His breathing was coming in quick gasps now. Surely, he must be the worst Hero in the history of Hyrule. The last Hero. The one who let Hyrule fall. The pounding of his heart almost drowned out Hiccup's voice.

"So all we need to do is fill the fountain," Hiccup concluded.

"If only it were that easy."

"What do you mean?"

"This is a Fairy Fountain. They've been dry for years."

"Can't we get it going again?"

"Not that I've seen. And I've seen a lot of them."

Though Link kept his eyes on the ground, Hiccup noticed how quickly he was breathing and how tight his fists were clenched.

"Gem?" Hiccup asked with an ironic grin. Link didn't respond. That's a no-go on the jokes, then. Time to stay focused.

Hiccup put his hands on his hips and looked about the rotunda again. "So, what do we do now?"

Link spun on his heels and exploded, "I DON'T KNOW! OKAY?! I DON'T KNOW!"

I don't know! I don't know! It echoed around the rotunda as if each relief whispered it to the next. Eventually, the room resumed its hallowed silence.

"That's okay," Hiccup assured.

Link's voice quivered. "You don't understand, Hiccup. I'm the Hero. I'm supposed to know what to do." Link raked his fingers through his hair and stared ahead at the distant door, so close and yet so far.

"For what it's worth," Hiccup offered, "I think you're doing a great job."

Link threw his arms in the air. "The princess is missing! The royal family and the entire army are dead! The Sheikah are no more! Ganon has the Triforce of Power and is on the verge of taking all of Hyrule! The Great Deku Tree is— is—" The fingerless gloves crunched as he tightened his fists. His whole frame trembled. Slowly, his knees gave way, and he sank onto the rim of the barren fountain. He cupped his face in his hands, his voice weak as smoldering embers. "I've messed up, Hiccup. And I don't know if I can fix it." How could he? When the world was this broken, when it was his fault?

"But you're trying."

Link looked up. Hiccup was smiling, but behind him, the heroes frozen in victory taunted.

Hiccup noticed the blue eyes flick over his shoulder. He waved at the reliefs. "You don't think they had their own setbacks?"

"I would call losing the Kingdom a little more than a 'setback'."

"But you have more in common than not, right?" Hiccup gestured to the statue. "You have all been called by these… goddesses. You were all given the Triforce." Link flinched. "Right?"

Link was as stiff as the statues, and when he finally spoke it was like choking on a rock. "It's complicated."

"You want to talk about it?"

Link didn't respond. In fact, he would rather have dived into the chasm than endure any more questions.

Hiccup took a seat next to him. "My dad always says it's best to leave the yak dung where you found it." Link gave him a quizzical look. Hiccup shrugged and went on. "I think it means sometimes you just need to move forward. Leave the past in the past, ya know?" Link sighed and dropped his eyes.

Hiccup rubbed his long skinny legs. "One thing's for sure. Nothing is going to happen if we don't get across." He surveyed the lifeless platforms. "Something as important as this should have a backup power source."

He walked to the edge and looked over. It was a long way down. He placed his hand on the wall so as not to fall in. As he balanced, his fingers found a groove in the wall, an indentation so faint it was nearly invisible in the faint blue light. He traced it along the wall to its source: a familiar style of pedestal with a concave center. Suddenly, he gasped and took a step back, a smile breaking across his face.

"Look! There," he pointed. Reluctantly, Link looked up. On either side of the edge were two orb pedestals.

Hiccup grabbed Link's hand and started running back the way they came. "Come on. We're getting out of here." A few minutes later they were each standing in front of a pedestal, glowing yellow orbs crackling in their hands. Hiccup set his in place first. The pedestal glowed, and half the platforms began to move.

"Yes!" Hiccup shouted.

Link closed his eyes and a nearly visible weight fell off him. Dropping his own orb into place, the rest of the platforms began moving. The air hummed with energy.

Hiccup continued brightly. "Now, just to get across."

Some platforms floated side to side, slipping into perfectly fitted notches in the wall. Others ascended and descended into the murky depths. The closest platform floated towards them. Then, when it was about three feet away, it switched directions.

Hiccup looked out across all the platforms. They were all in motion, each overlapping with the next for only a few moments before disappearing into the wall or the ceiling or down into the darkness.

"Couldn't have been a simple bridge," Hiccup mumbled.

"Get ready," Link said. "Here it comes."

Hiccup took a step back. The first platform floated towards them.

"Now!" Link shouted. They ran and leapt. The distance wasn't far, but Hiccup felt a surge of adrenaline as they jumped over the dark pit and landed on the platform. The ride was dizzying. Looking at the dozens of platforms while in the middle of the chaos was much more disorienting than watching from the sidelines.

"There!" Hiccup pointed to a platform that was floating up from the darkness. They hopped off the first and onto the second.

"And this one," Link said, already jumping to a third. Hiccup was right behind him, sliding off the second just before it slipped into a slot in the wall.

"This isn't so bad," Hiccup remarked. He was already charting a course to get across the last five platforms when a series of screeches behind made him jump. On the fountain side, assembling on the edge of the chasm was a small crowd of bulblins brandishing their weapons.

"And I've spoken too soon," Hiccup said, rolling his eyes.

Coming up through the crowd, a head taller than all of them, was a hooded figure. The only features visible were a snout that protruded from under the black hood and a pair of glowing red eyes.

"Vabblin," Link breathed.

"What?"

A sheen of sweat glinted on Link's forehead, and his pupils were pin pricks. "Hurry," Link said. Three bulblins had already made it to the first platform. A fourth missed and fell with a screech into the darkness. Hiccup felt Link pulling on his shoulder and shook off a shiver as the scream echoed.

"That one," Link said. They leapt to another platform and another. It wasn't the quickest or even the smartest route. Link's movements were stiff; there was none of his usual grace or confidence.

Link fished around in his pouches and lobbed a bomb at the cloaked figure. It detonated, and half a dozen bulblin bodies tumbled off the platform. Through the smoke, the red eyes emerged, seemingly unphased.

The bulblins bounced across the platforms like fleas, closing the distance with terrifying speed. Three platforms away, now just one platform behind them. Link drew the Master Sword and spun to face the enemies.

"Go!" he shouted over his shoulder.

Hiccup skidded to a stop. "I'm not leaving you behind!"

"I'll be fine," Link asserted. "GO!"

Hiccup merely held up his shield, fear and determination in his eyes. Link's ear twitched; bulblins would be on them any moment now. The Viking gripped the strap on the shield and prepared for the onslaught. Then, without warning, Link barreled into him, shoving him backwards into thin air.

Hiccup's heart stopped as he fell, but a moment later, he thudded against the hard surface of a rising platform. He wheezed, trying to get the air back into his lungs, and rolled himself to the edge. Now above the action, he could clearly see Link surrounded by four bulblins with dozens more closing in. With a yell, Link spun in a circle, sending the bulblin bodies flying off the platform. Link glanced up at Hiccup, nodded, and turned to face the charging hoard.

No! If Link expected him to just sit back and do nothing, he didn't know him at all. Hiccup got to his knees and looked up. He was getting dangerously close to the ceiling. He scanned the pattern of platforms. The one nearest him had just changed directions. He leapt and barely caught the edge. Swinging his long legs for momentum, he launched himself onto a horizontally floating platform.

He saw a flash of light and heard an explosion. Link! He needed to move faster. Jumping from platform to platform, he made his way back down. It would have been so much easier if Link had let him help. Help how? He didn't have a weapon. Wait…

He landed on a descending platform and clutched the bow string across his chest. Shakily, he readied an arrow in the string, caught himself aiming with his left hand and switched to fire with his right. Somewhere below, Link cried out. Hiccup's heart leapt into his throat. He tried to see what was happening, but there were too many platforms in the way. Come on, can't this go any faster?

As Hiccup floated down, five bulblins brandishing spears and knives piled onto Link's tiny platform, cutting off any retreat. Behind them, the cloaked figure approached, the snout scrunching with every sickening breath, the red eyes glowing with malice.

Five against one. Link clutched a dagger in one hand and held the other out in front of him. Empty. What happened to his sword? Link swayed, his outstretched hand trembled. We'll have to replace that later.

Hiccup aimed at the closest bulblin. What was he thinking? He was brand new at this. He'd just as likely hit Link. The bulblin raised his hatchet to attack.

ZING! Hiccup's arrow shot through the air and sank deep into the bulblin's back. The rest of the bulblins swiveled up to look at him, and the Hero took that moment to stab, slash, or kick them off. The last one toppled to the ground as Hiccup hauled Link onto his platform.

"Nice shot," Link panted.

"You know you could ask me to move next time."

"I did!"

"I didn't hear you say 'please'."

Link rolled his eyes.

Hiccup pulled on his arm. "Come on, let's go!"

Link stumbled to his shaky feet. "I need to get my Sword."

Hiccup's jaw nearly dropped. "I thought you said items came and went!"

Though Link's posture was weak, his eyes were clear and determined. "This one's different. Cover me." Without another word, Link leapt into the darkness.

Cover me. A welcome change to being shoved to safety. Hiccup smiled and loosed another arrow, hitting a bulblin in the chest. He readied a third arrow, but the bulblins were springing across faster than he could fire. Two landed on his platform. He took a step back and felt the edge with his boot. His mind flashed back to the cliff where he had lost Link's shield. He's counting on me. He grabbed his shield and rushed them both, knocking them into the depths.

Just then, Link reappeared with the Master Sword. "Alright, let's go!" Following Hiccup's lead, they leapt across the remaining platforms and finally landed on the other side.

Link grabbed Hiccup's arm. "Wait, a second." His eyes were calculating, studying something distant. "We could slow them down." The Hero grimaced as he readied an arrow. Hiccup followed his gaze to the two orbs glowing like fireflies on the far side of the chasm so very far away. Hiccup hesitated.

"Come on," Link encouraged. "You can do this." Both boys nocked their arrows and aimed.

"Ready?" Link asked.

Hiccup exhaled, allowing the tiny orb to come into focus and letting the distractions around him fade away. "Ready," he said.

Together, they fired. The pair of arrows shot past bulblins and platforms, over the hundreds of feet until… PING. With a wobble, the orbs rolled from their pedestals. Hiccup laughed with relief.

The platforms lost their glow and came to a standstill. Several bulblins, not anticipating the halt, missed their landings and fell into the darkness. But plenty still were making their way across, one of which was the cloaked figure. Its red eyes were both terrifying and captivating. Hiccup had to wrench his gaze away.

The boys sprinted through the humble doorway and stumbled into the blinding daylight. Hiccup shielded his eyes and squinted out over the sparkling mounds of pristine snow. On one side was a steep ascent and on the other a sheer cliff. They were up so high clouds drifted beneath them. Directly in front stood a forest.

"Let's hide behind those rocks," Hiccup said as he led the way through the knee-deep snow. His feet wobbled a bit, still feeling the rolling tumult of the platforms beneath them.

"It's going to be hard to outrun those bulblins," Link panted from behind. "They're lighter."

Hiccup looked up the mountain slope. There was a wide break between the Hall's exit and the tree line and nothing but beautiful snow above. "We may not have to," he mused aloud.

They scrambled over the boulders on the edge of the tree line and watched as the first of the bulblins made their way out.

"Do you have any bombs left?" Hiccup asked.

"Just this." Link handed over the dusty orb. Hiccup grabbed it and untied the rope that held his prosthetic foot in place. He carefully pulled one ply from the rest and then retied his foot.

The bulblins shuffled out, clearly also gaining their bearings. They kept poking the snow and looking around.

"They really aren't too bright, are they?" Hiccup commented, as he used the single ply to tie the bomb to an arrow.

Link stiffly leaned back in the snow and closed his eyes. "What they lack in brains they make up for in numbers." He suddenly winced.

"You okay?" Hiccup asked. Link gave a thumbs up but kept his eyes squeezed shut. "Link? " Hiccup coaxed. The Hero sighed and rolled forward just enough for Hiccup to see the red-stained snow below.

"Oh, Thor!" Hiccup breathed. He lunged forward and held a handful of snow to the wound. Green puss oozed from two half-moon puncture marks on either side of his spine and crimson the size of a dinner plate was already staining the back of his collar.

"Ah! Ah, it's fine," Link waved him off with another wince.

"No, that's serious. As soon as we're clear—"

"I know. I'll take a potion."

Hiccup resumed his work on the arrow and mumbled, "At least I don't have to threaten you with fruit."

Link chuckled. Despite the pain, he held the snowpack to his neck and kept an eye on the ever-increasing bulblin hoard. There were at least twenty with more stragglers joining every few seconds.

"So. Special sword?" asked Hiccup, nodding at the Master Sword.

"It's the only weapon that can defeat Ganon."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Of course, it is. Try not to drop it again."

"I'll do my best."

Behind the thirty or so bulblins, the cloaked figure emerged from the darkness. Link tensed.

"What is it?" Hiccup asked.

Link swallowed. "No matter where we hid, Vabblin—" Link nodded towards the hooded figure, then stiffened in pain. "It— It always found us."

Hiccup peered over towards the hoard. Vabblin's snout sniffed the air. Hiccup dropped a little lower in the snowbank.

Link continued. "Vabblin's the tracker, and the Captain does the dirty work. They fight a lot, but they have the same goal."

"Which is?"

"Capturing me."

Hiccup peeked over the edge. Vabblin turned towards them, growled something, and pointed. The rest of the bulblins looked their way and began running up the hill. They were getting closer. At this rate they'd be overrun in less than a minute.

"Hiccup?"

"Not yet…" The Viking held the arrow loose in the bow string.

Thirty seconds away.

Twenty seconds.

Link struggled to his knees. "Hiccup ?"

"I don't want them running back into the Hall."

Fifteen seconds.

Link dropped the dripping snowpack and gripped the Master Sword.

Ten seconds.

Finally, Hiccup stood up, aimed the bomb arrow as high as he could up the glittering slope, and released. The arrow sailed through the air and landed with a gentle thud in the snow. A tiny flash was the only indication that it had detonated, but the next moment, a crack of thunder reverberated off the mountain side.

"Okay, now we gotta move," Hiccup said, slinging the bow over his head. They ran deeper into the forest as snow and ice poured down behind them. The shrieks of the bulblins were swallowed up by the roar of the avalanche. Hiccup cast the briefest glance over his shoulder and spotted the moment Vabblin's black cloak tumbled over the edge.

Stopping a safe distance away, the boys paused to catch their breath, and eventually, the only sound was the wind whistling through the trees.

"Guess you won't have to worry about him again," Hiccup panted.

Link popped the cork off the potion and gulped down the red liquid. He rolled his head slowly from side to side, his face markedly more relaxed, and motioned to the top of the mountain. "And now we're one step closer to getting answers."

"We'd better get moving then," Hiccup said. "I don't like the look of those clouds." He adjusted the bow and shield and started walking.

Link grabbed his arm. Hiccup paused and turned. It was a moment before Link spoke. "Thanks for having my back in there."

Hiccup grinned. "Guess we make a pretty good team."

"Yeah." Link smiled. "I guess we do."

"To the Sage?" asked Hiccup.

"To the Sage."

As they left the harrowing hall behind, Hiccup smirked. "Remember what you said about near death experiences bringing people together? I think we just had one."

"Which one? The sentinel? The bulblins?"

"The durian."

Author's Notes:

Thanks to Ari Lewis and Luke for beta reading!

And thanks to everyone who has made it this far!