Author's Notes:

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!

Link shielded his eyes and squinted out from under his hood. The snowstorm, which had been blowing for over an hour, obscured the path and other signs of how close they were. The only indication that they were going the right way was that the trees didn't grow on the invisible path.

He shivered and pulled his hood down a little tighter as snowflakes attacked his face like hundreds of freezing embers. Fire he'd learned to deal with, but the paralyzing stiffness, the aching joints, the unsettling numbness that came from cold was always difficult to endure.

He dug his hands deeper into his arm pits, searching for a tiny bit of warmth or at least respite from the stinging cold, and thought of the first—and the last—time he was here. It had also been snowing but without the wind. Navi had hid in the fold of his drooping, pointed hat, the frigid weather proving to be too bleak for even the energetic little fairy. His saving grace had been a bag of fire flakes he munched on to keep the cold at bay. Wish I had some of those fire flakes now, he thought, wiping his dripping nose. I wish Navi was… He wiped his eyes before tiny icicles could form on his lashes.

Unexpectedly, he was warmer. His back and right side tingled as Hiccup vigorously rubbed them. Link's eyebrows arched high, well, as high as they could on his frozen face. Besides a little redness to the tip of his nose, Hiccup seemed completely unaffected as they trudged through the snow.

"We have weather like this all the time back home," Hiccup explained. Then, adding with a smile, "At least it's not hailing."

"Remime whyuu wanna go back?" His frozen lips refused to enunciate.

"Eh, it's not so bad after you lose your first finger or toe."

Link's eyes darted to Hiccup's prosthetic foot. "Is tha how… ?"

"Oh, no." Hiccup chuckled. "That was… an occupational hazard. Hey! Are we here?" He pointed to a small hut just appearing out of the storm. Link nodded and rubbed his arms. "So, what's the Sage like?" Hiccup asked.

Link smacked his face a few times, trying to get the blood flow back to his lips. "'e-asn't gotten 'is r-r-reputation for n-nothin'." Smack smack. "'e's counseled the roy-royal f-family for generations, but 'e-azome… q-quirks."

"Quirks?"

"Keepyor eyes down. 'e gets… v-very uncomfortable if people look 'im in the eye. He's also extremely busy. You'll need to get his attention right away or he won't listen at all."

"Me?! Why do I need to talk to him?"

"Let's j-jus- say last time I left a less than favorable impression. It's for the best if he doesn't see me first. You jus– need to get him to open the door, and then we'll be in the clear."

"As long as there are no gems involved…"

Link gave him a playful shove. "Get going."

Hiccup's footsteps crunched the fresh powder as he strode towards the hut. The front door, the only door as far as Hiccup could tell, carried a defiant rawness in the grains of the dark wood that could only be earned by weathering centuries of storms atop the desolate peak. He glanced at Link who was waiting just off to the left, head hunched low and arms tightly crossed. The freezing Hylian gave an encouraging nod. Hiccup took a deep breath and knocked.

He waited.

And waited.

He knocked again. The only sound was the wind howling off the mountain.

He leaned on one foot, then the other, and brushed the gathering snow off his shoulders. Was anyone even here?

He pressed his ear to the door and nearly fell forward when the door swung inwards. Waving his arms like a baby bird, he caught his balance, careful to keep his head down, and launched into a speech, the words tumbling out faster than an avalanche.

"Hello Mr. Sage, Honorable Sage. Please tell us what this thing is because somehow I woke up in this world and I can't take it off and Impa and Link seem to think it's important, but I have no idea if this world is real or if it's all in my head." He stopped to catch his breath. No response. "Also do you know where Princess Zelda is? We're kind of looking for her too." No response.

He tipped his head up. To his surprise, there was no one in front of him. Craning his neck up further, he saw at the top of his vision a fluffy blue tail lazily swishing back and forth. He straightened up. Before him, seated like a king on a small ledge was a small, furry creature. The blue in its long tail carried up its back with stripes of darker blue. Its legs, he presumed, were hidden under the round furry body. Half a dozen fuzzy, black lumps grew out of the sides of its face, reminding him of the nubs on Toothless's head, but Hiccup was captivated by its eyes. They were the color of molten rock and glowed just as brightly.

The Viking leaned forward and whispered, "Are you the Sage?"

The creature drooped an eyelid as it lifted the other. Then blinking slowly, it sat up, stretched, and leapt from its ledge, walking further into the warm light of the hut. It paused, and indifferently looked back at Hiccup who was loitering on the doorstep.

Link patted Hiccup as he passed by. "Good work," he said, stifling a giggle.

Hiccup raised a hand, glanced at the departing creature, then at his friend who couldn't wipe the grin off his face. He shook his head, letting his own smile break, before walking in.

He'd only gone a few steps when he stopped short. He thought for a second that he'd stepped into another world, again. Beyond the doorstep, golden sunlight bathed the green lawn. Green. He hadn't seen this much thriving vegetation anywhere in Hyrule. The sky, too, instead of the hazy, brownish blue was as bright and clear as any he'd seen and not a cloud in it. Small trees dotted with colorful fruit grew around the edges of the stone-walled yard. Butterflies flitted above a clear pond and danced away from splashes of color. He shivered as the warmth from the unseen sun brought feeling back into his arms and fingers. His stomach growled at the scent of cooking fish.

A flurry of snowflakes tickling his neck reminded him of the inclement weather behind him. Bad weather outside, good weather inside? He shrugged, pushed the door closed, and ran to catch up with Link.

The Hero had stopped a few feet away from a solitary figure sitting on the edge of the sparkling pond. A silver beard cascaded from his wrinkled face into his lap. Earlobes like melted taffy swung as he gently tilted his head back and forth, singing a song to himself.

Link dropped his head into his hand.

"What's wrong?" Hiccup whispered, stopping beside him.

Link answered flatly. "He's fishing." Then clearing his throat, he said, "Sage?"

The figure remained motionless, his gray eyes fixed on a distant point.

"Sir?" Hiccup asked. No response. The blue, furry creature leapt into the old man's lap. Hiccup jumped when the old man shouted.

"YUKIMI. DO WE HAVE COMPANY?" He turned to see Link and Hiccup wincing. His mouth cracked into a wide toothy grin. "OH! SO WE DO. WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING? COME AN' SIT A SPELL. AN' HELP YOURSELF TO A FISH."

Link answered Hiccup's silent question with a shrug and passed him a steaming fish. With one mouthwatering bite, Hiccup was convinced he could never go back to eating regular fish again. What was that? Spices? He took another delectable bite but nearly choked as the Sage started yelling again.

"WHAT BRINGS YA BACK HERE, LINK? GANON'S STILL OUT THERE FROM WHAT I CAN TELL."

Link stared at the fish in his hands. "We came to ask you—"

"WHAT?"

The creature covered its ears with its paws.

Link groaned. "WE CAME TO ASK YOU ABOUT AN ITEM!"

"SHH," the Sage whispered aggressively. "You'll scare the fish."

Hiccup noticed the many colorful fish had, in fact, swum away. He was about to take another bite when Link yanked his left arm.

"THIS?" he said, shoving the bracer in the Sage's face.

"OH!" The old man set the rod down and leaned in to take a closer look. His pin-point pupils grew as round as Hiccup's bola shield. The knobby fingers reverently brushed the leatherwork, polishing the shining brass bands as he mumbled to himself. "This is special. This is very special."

"Do you know what it is?" Link asked.

"WHAT?"

Link rolled his eyes. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS?"

The creature moaned and wandered back toward the house.

"WELL, IT'S DEFINITELY FROM THE GODDESSES. AND, OOOH! THE INSCRIPTION SAYS THIS IS INFUSED WITH A GIFT," he shouted, waving his fingers. "YOU CAN USE THAT GIFT THREE TIMES." He held up three gnarled fingers. "YOU CAN TELL BECAUSE OF THE THREE GEMS." He pointed to each as he counted. "ONE. TWO. THREE…" His eyes trailed up the arm to the body to the face.

"WHO ARE YOU?" he demanded flatly.

"I'm—" Hiccup caught himself using his regular speaking voice and looked at Link who shrugged unhelpfully. Hiccup took a lung full of air and was just about to shout his response when the creature returned.

The Sage lifted a finger. "JUST A MINUTE." The creature dropped a beautiful conical shell that it had been carrying in its tail. Hiccup screwed his face as the Sage screwed the shell into his ear.

"My hearing's not what it used to be," the Sage said at a reasonable sonic level. Tapping the shell a few more times, he turned his full attention to the brown-haired boy in front of him. "What was your name, sonny?"

"Hiccup."

"Part of the one-name crew, I see. Parents these days. Don't know how to properly name their children." He picked up the fishing rod.

"Well, my full name is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the—"

"Alright, I don't need your whole genealogy. Where'r ya from?"

"Berk. It's an island in the Archipelago."

"Hmmm, Berk Island." The Sage stroked his beard and gazed at the endless blue sky. "I think my great-granddaughter was seein' a feller from Berk Island. Or was that Broca Island? He was a funny one, always looking for a new beetle to add to his—"

"Sage—" Link interrupted. "—what are we supposed to do with this?"

"Well, if Ganon is still stomping around, I suspect this is supposed to trip 'im up."

"And how is it supposed to do that?" Link asked.

"Haven't a clue."

Hiccup leaned over and whispered, "I thought you said this guy knows everything."

The boys jumped as the old man responded. "Just because I'm two hundred twenty-eight years young next spring doesn't mean I know everything. It's a big world out there, ya know. Always more to be learnin'."

The Sage threw out his line again, the hook falling with a satisfying plop a ways out in the pond. "For instance, you, young Hiccup. You're from somewhere I've never heard of, but here ya are, and yer gonna help little Linky with his mission."

"What?" the boys asked in unison.

"Seems clear enough. Ganon needs to be stopped. You drop in from Beetle Island with a very special Hylian artifact. You can't take the thing off so obviously you're the only one who can use it. Looks like it's up to you."

"Up to me to do what?" Hiccup asked warily.

"Save the world." The Sage yawned, dug a fish scale out from between his yellow teeth, and glanced at the two gawking teenagers. "What?"

"Save the world? " Hiccup stammered.

The Sage leaned back. "It's not that big a deal. The Hero's done it a dozen times."

Hiccup glanced at Link.

"Other heroes," Link clarified quietly.

The Sage rubbed his splotchy nose. "Just be yourself, use the bracer, and you'll be fine."

Hiccup sat up stiffly. "That's very encouraging and I'm all for helping people, but honestly I just want to get home."

"That's the best part." The Sage's gray eyes beamed. "The bracer can do that, too."

Hiccup dropped his half-eaten fish. "I can go home now?!"

"Well, not exactly. You need a very powerful place to connect you back to your world. Like…" The Sage tugged at one of his dangling earlobes, "the Goddess shrine in the Castle. Yep, that'll do!"

Hiccup's eyelids dropped, his voice as flat as the ocean at dawn. "You mean the castle that Ganon currently has control over?"

"That's the one!"

"Of course, it would be," Hiccup said with a roll of the eyes.

There was a knock at the door. Link, who'd barely moved since the Sage's inconceivable statement, jumped to his feet. "I'll get it."

As he crossed the lawn, his face grew hotter. His nails dug into his palms. The aching weight in his chest was a knife, piercing and burning his heart. So that's it. I've failed, and now they've brought in someone else to finish my job.

He tripped and hit his head on the front door. The sting was a relief, a physical pain that was quantifiable, finite. He raked his fingers along the deep grooves in the ancient door. It was hard to catch his breath and not because of the altitude.

Hope is coming. The words floated back into his mind like the scent of a fresh baked fruitcake. His hand reached into his belt pouch and closed around the ocarina. As he rubbed the cold surface, feeling the fingering holes, he forced himself to breathe. He saw her face, not as it had been on that day—angelic, distant, might he even say, divine—but as he had known her: buoyant, with an energy and light that no darkness could touch.

His mind pushed the dagger from his heart and steeled it with resolve. You always believed in me, now it's my turn. I won't give up on you. His brows furrowed. I can do this. I'll show you I'm still worthy. The shadow passed from his face as soon as it came. Just… give me a sign, a chance, to make things right. His hand fell limply to his side.

Grasping the handle, he took a breath and unlatched the door. The wind swung the door wide open and with it carried a blast of snow and a jubilant greeting.

"Heeeeey!" the man yelled. Link took a step back at the sight. The stranger's bony knees, completely bare under his short shorts, bent together to keep himself from being pushed over. The large fabric fin strapped to his back caught the wind like a tiny sailboat in a typhoon. With one hand he held onto a red fez perched on his head, and with the other he held out a folded piece of paper.

Link delicately took the letter. Before he could find a response, the man saluted him, shouted, "Onward to mail!" and dashed away.

Link blinked twice. Then grabbing the edge of the doorway called after him, "Do you at least want a coat?" But the man was already lost in the storm. With a shake of his head, Link closed the door.

He recognized the black, wax seal as hailing from Kakariko. Impa? She intended to get more potions there. Was she in trouble?

He tore open the letter. The handwriting was rough, scratchy. Maybe she was in a hurry. His eyes scanned the few scribbled words and went wide.

/

"So I can't go home until we defeat Ganon, and we can't defeat Ganon without this?" Hiccup asked.

"Seems right by my reckonin'," the Sage answered.

"No offense, but maybe your reckonin' is wrong." Hiccup dropped his head onto his knees. He stared forward but didn't see the pond sparkling in the sun. The warmth on his back was like the comforting words from a stranger. This world was dangerous, absurd, and getting more demanding by the hour. He hugged his knees tighter.

"I never should have followed that voice," he said under his breath.

"What's that?" The Sage leaned toward Hiccup. "You been hearin' voices too?"

"Umm, yeah. Just once. There was this girl who was calling for help."

The Sage sat back. "Hmm, my voices just ask me where I left my slippers." Something tugged on the line, and the Sage reeled in a fish. "Lookie here!" he said, pulling in the line. "Never seen a haddock in the pond before."

Haddock? A jolt of familiarity ran through Hiccup, and he sat up a little straighter. His eyes wandered to the small silvery fish dangling from the line. The remaining stump of the left pectoral fin had healed over. The Sage was removing the hook when he saw Hiccup's bug-eyed expression.

"What? Oh yeah, didn't ya say yur name was—"

"Hiccup Haddock," the Viking finished with a gulp.

The Sage whistled. "What a coincidence. An', an' look!" The Sage leaned uncomfortably close as the tiny fish swung from the line. "E's got a little stumpy fin just like yur leg there!"

Hiccup scooched away and shook his head. "It could have been any fish."

The Sage smiled. "True, but out of all them fish swimming around in there, this is the one that bit. I've had this line in all afternoon, waiting for the right one." The Sage leaned closer until Hiccup thought he would fall over and whispered, "I think the fish is trying to tell us something."

Hiccup's eyes wandered to the sizzling grill. "Yeah, take the bait and you're dead."

"Well, it's not a perfect analogy."

Before the Sage could continue, Link sprinted back across the lawn.

"Zelda's at Tanelope Shrine!"

"So the third piece of the Triforce has returned," the Sage said as he prepared a new line. "Good. You could use a touch of wisdom."

Hiccup barely turned his head from where it rested on his knobby knees. "Impa found her?"

Link hesitated a moment. The brief message was unsigned. "…Basically." He dropped to eye level with the Sage. "How do we get there?"

"Tanelope Shrine. That's a long ways away," the old man mused, winding the twine around a new hook. "The safest way is through the Valley, following the river. Just don't touch the water; it's gotten downright nasty since Ganon took over."

Link groaned. "That would take us four days on foot."

"Well… if yer in that much of a hurry—"

"I am."

The Sage turned his aged eyes on Link with a clarity and intensity that made the boy shrink away. The old man considered him a few moments longer then slowly lifted his wrinkled face towards the cloudless sky. A smile touched his thin lips. "You could fly." Hiccup, who had been staring at the little silver fish, perked up.

The Sage continued. "There's a fellow down the road. Victor? Vinny? He's got a business selling joy rides around the Valley. Go to his stand, and you could fly to the shrine."

Link pulled the map out of his leather breastplate but was already charting the course from the mountain to the shrine. Through the Valley… Right past The Old Garrison. He hesitated. Going that close to the Garrison was dangerous, especially if they were out in the open. But time was not on their side; risks had to be taken. "That's what we'll have to do, then." He stowed the map, his expression decided. "Come on, Hiccup. Let's go."

"What? But I have so many questions still. You never said what I'm supposed to do with this," Hiccup argued, holding up the bracer to the Sage.

"How should I know? You're the one that took the bait." The old man winked as he waved the limp haddock.

"Right," Hiccup said. "Hope I don't get burned because of it."

"Hiccup?" Link was already on his feet.

Hiccup sighed and pushed himself up. "Okay, let's go."

Author's Notes:

As always, thanks to Ari Lewis and Luke for beta reading!

Okay, I've been so excited to share this chapter! Once I figured out the character voice, it was really fun to write. Thanks for taking the time to read, and I hope it made you smile :)

The creature Yukimi was an intentional nod to Avatar: The Last Airbender (because, you know, the show is awesome and can never get enough love!).

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!