Disclaimer: Whatever it is, the answer is no.

Note: Uh... I lied. I'm sorry. It's up to you to figure out what about.

The Wind Fish's Gifts

The beast clenched it's teeth tightly and swung it's blade down, missing Sheik by inches and leaving a huge gash in the sand. She dismounted as fast as she could, then raised her sword to block the stroke of the skeletal monster. The weapons connected, sending rusty shrapnel flying in all directions. Sheik jumped backwards, then ducked, the monster's sword missing by only the breadth of a hair. The Moblins nearby jeered. She leapt toward the creature, swinging her sword with both hands on the hilt. It struck true, slicing through several ribs effortlessly. The beast wailed loudly, then, abandoning it's blade, it hit Sheik in the side of the head with the palm of it's bony hand. Sheik fell to the earth, landing hard on her left arm. It broke with an audible snap, and Sheik cried out loudly. The monster, having picked up it's sword again, prepared to strike-

"Gaaaaaah!" The Dodongo roared. It swung it's head sharply to the left, tearing the monster in two. It took in air, preparing to douse anything in it's sight with napalm. Sheik used her good arm to hack off the leg of the Moblin that stood above her, causing it to fall upon her, shielding her from the heat. It smelled awful, but... whoosh. Sheik was blinded temporarily by the hell- fire despite her closed eyelids, but a majority of the heat was deflected by the now- dead monster. The fire of reality left her, replaced by a cool blackness.

T

The field of battle was empty, save the corpses of monsters. The few knights that had survived the conflict (less than one hundred) had used coals from the brush fire that the Dodongo had caused to burn the bodies of the noble dead. It had been a victory (the monsters had retreated), but you wouldn't know it by looking at the survivors. Some were missing limbs, some were missing brothers. Nobody had left that smouldering field unchanged. Sheik still hadn't regained consciousness, but none of the healers would dare to try getting her out of it. She might not even be Hylian, and nobody wanted to hazard a guess as to how her body might function. Cardoss was now the proud owner of a long, dark scar along the right side of his face. He wasn't one to complain, so he said that Uma would probably have his head and left it at that. Link had nearly had his hand severed again. The healer had, to his dismay, told him not to use a sword for two weeks.

Link was bothered more and more by a little voice in his head that told him to get going to wherever he had promised to go. Another little voice said that he was needed here, and that the meager clues he had been given were too little to justify departing the tiny blockade. Angels? There was nothing in this forsaken wasteland. He would stay until he recieved further instruction. Until then...

"You said you would come, Link. We're waiting..." It was his old friend, the mysterious voice. Here, it seemed, to give more cryptic instruction.

"Cryptic? Oh, that's right. You were asleep. It's kind of hard to hear when your body is shut down. Hmmm... anyway, if you're ready to get a move on..." Unlike the previous night, the voice didn't speak in monotone. Another effect of being contacted while asleep.

"Sure. Uh... have you got a name?"

"Of course I do, silly. You've just forgotten. You promised you wouldn't, too. Now, get a horse."

Link stepped out of his tent and into the light. As soon as his eyes were adjusted, he flagged down Cardoss and asked to borrow a steed. The knight's eyes, which had aged so much in the past hours, lit up with some of their usual spark. He took Link to the stable tent, which was not quite as full as it had once been. He opened one of the stalls and brought out a rather plain- looking chestnut. He smiled at Link's skeptical expression.

"She doesn't really look like an Imperial, but she can run like the wind if there's a good rider in command. I saw how you rode into battle, and from what I can tell you're pretty good. Don't use any baby talk and you'll be okay. She's thrown people off for treating her like an infant. Also, don't call her horse. Her name is Epona, and you'd better learn to use it. I got her from Lon Lon ranch a few years back. The thing with the seasons hit them pretty hard, and they needed to get rid of a few luxuries. Uh... unless you'd like another one?" Epona looked at him, then at Link. Link suspected that the horse might give him a kick in the groin if he refused, so he agreed and climbed on.

T

Cardoss hadn't been lying about the horse's abilities. Epona had hammered on at full tilt for more than an hour without any sign of tiring. Link, who still had no idea where he was headed, tried to get some answers from the voice. She was more than happy to answer some questions, while she flatly refused others. It was somewhat irritating, but gave him something to do.

"So... I've met you before?"

"Of course!"

"Were we friends?"

"Mmmm... yes. Hehe..."

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. All will be cleared up in time." This always seemed to be her response to questions she wouldn't (or couldn't) answer.

"Wow. I've never seen a place like this before. Land as far as you can see... there was a desert back home, but it was nothing like this... wait. Look to the right a little." The voice would often also speak of 'back home' as if he knew what she was talking about. Link obeyed her and turned his head. Into his view came a great temple made all of marble, with thousands of marble statues of winged creatures scattered around it. He urged Epona to speed up, and she did. Within minutes they had reached the statue- littered courtyard, where Link began to wonder where it had all come from. The carved marble was of Goron quality, yet it did not bear the markings of the Gorons or of anyone else. The beings portrayed appeared to be Hylian, but all had wings like those of birds. The voice instructed him to go to the front steps.

A sound like that of a whale's cry was heard, then the sky grew dark. Out of a parting in the clouds floated a massive beast, like a whale, and yet unlike. It had the sleek blue- gray body of a sea creature, but instead of fins it had wings like those on the statues. Link fell into a kneeling position, as if praying.

Suddenly the scene changed. It was no longer the day but the night. The scene was now that of Link's nightmares, the never- ending road. Now, though, there was no monster behind him. There was something, to be sure, but it was more like the hand of a mentor on his shoulder than a being of destruction. Link reached out toward the glowing orb and grasped it. The light faded momentarily, then became so bright that Link let go and put a hand over his eyes. The deed was done, however. The light rammed straight into his chest (his heart, to be exact) then disappeared. Link fell forward.

He remembered.