Link stood so long just staring at the finger that he just forgot to uncover whoever was under the snowbank. Then he shook himself and looked at the finger again. Why is it orange? he thought. It was a rusty orange-brown, thicker than his own fingers so it must've been a thumb. Link slowly wiped away the snow with his lower arms, then saw what it was.

A Goron.

Link stood staring at the blue, starved body for a while before he tried to do something. A Goron! he thought wildly. But Gorons are supposed to be orange! Then he remembered that the Goron had been in the snowbank for such a long while that their body had probably been not-so-gradually turning blue as it froze.

Link wondered what he should do. Then he saw a small ridge rising out of the side of the mountain. The top was snow-covered and blended perfectly with the surroundings, but from where Link was he could see an entrance; a black hole.

Link finally decided that there was only one way to do it: he had to turn into a Goron. He looked around, pulling the Goron Mask out of his belt. Still checking, Link slid it over his face.

Once he was a full Goron, Link powerfully picked up the frozen Goron from the snow into his arms. If he wanted to turn back to human before anyone in the cave found him, he'd have to release them. Link took a deep breath. He'd just go in as a Goron. After all, if there was a Goron here there must be some more in that cave.

Link put his warm hand on the belly of the Goron to see if she was still alive. Sure enough, he could feel a kind of faint heat beneath his fingers. Sighing, he adjusted his grip on the Goron and quickly headed toward the ridge-cave.

Link poked his head inside the cave once he reached it. He knew he couldn't just drop the Goron, so he'd have to go in Goron form. Link carefully edged his way into the cave.

Someone was coming his way. It was yet another Goron. His skin was orange, and on the back there was a spotted brown pattern. Despite his large belly, his legs were short and thin, thinner than Link's. He wasn't fat; he just had a potbelly-all Gorons did, not to mention the tip of his pointy head was covered in bristly yellowish hair. He had a big red mouth that looked just right for smiling, but it wasn't smiling now.

"A Goron?" he said when he reached Link. He screwed up his face. "She's all blue! Here, follow me."

How'd he know she was a girl? was Link's first thought as he followed the Goron, still holding the unconscious figure into his arms.

The Goron lead them to a small rocky chamber built into the wall, running off to get help. "This is her chamber." He bowed. "I'll go get help."

There was a fire crackling merrily at one end of the room, and a rock slab that served as a bed at another. This is where he carefully set the Goron.

As he took off the Goron Mask, Link watched the Goron's skin turn gradually from blue to orange. She was still a little pale, but seemed otherwise okay.

The Goron leaned on her big hands to sit up in bed. "You're the one who saved me from the snowbank."

"Yeah," said Link. He wondered how she remembered.

"Well, thanks. Who are you, anyway?"

"Link," he replied. "You?"

"Sarah."

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Pikasqueaks: Mm. Sarah makes me think of Saria. Mm.

Thecrazyfanficcer: And just who does Saria remind you of, may I ask?

Pikasqueaks: She reminds me of Mayl.

Thecrazyfanficcer: Go figure. He likes a girl from Mega Man Battle Network. So anyway, (notices Pikasqueaks looking at her strangely.)

Thecrazyfanficcer: What is it now?

Pikasqueaks: You sound weird when you just continue like that.

Gamergirl: It's what you do.

-----------------------------------------

Now that I have caused that annoying little Pikachu into shut-uppance, Link was thinking of something to say when the big rock door behind them suddenly swung open.

"There he is, there he is!" It was the Goron who Link had first met when he had entered the place.

"That's good now, you can go, Butler," said a wise-looking older Goron.

As the Goron scurried away, Link wondered how he had recognized him if he'd been in Goron form when he'd first got in. Must be the green hat, he thought.

The wise-looking Goron, who must have been Sarah's father knelt down beside the bed. There was also, Link noticed, a brother Goron and a motherly Goron with a little bitty Goron baby in her arms.

"Sarah, take this," the father said, handing her a steaming mug.

Sarah started to drink it but then spat it out. "Father, it's awful."

"It's tea made with Bomb Flower leaves. It'll make you feel better," was all he said.

When Sarah was finished drinking, he handed her a bitter-looking weed. "Goron leaves. Eat it," he encouraged.

Sarah sighed and ate the leaves, scrunching up her face with every bite. When she was done, the Goron father turned to Link. "So you're the one who saved my daughter."

Link nodded, grinning shyly as he scuffed the rocky floor with his foot.

The Goron closed his eyes. "The legends speak of a Hero of Time who has walked the earth and he will one day save more lives in danger. It was said that the Hero would wear a green hat."

Link scuffed the dirt again.

"Anyway, we're very thankful that you saved our daughter and brought her back to Mount Goron," said Sarah's mother, speaking for the first time. She shifted the baby in her arms.

The wise Goron looked from Sarah to Link, then back again. "Sarah, tell us how come you were missing for a few days," he said.

She stirred her legs a little. And as I write this, I want you to imagine it going on in your head. "Well, I had decided to get some more pebbles and dirt for us to eat because, you know, our store was getting low."

Her father listened patiently.

"So there I was, just picking pebbles off the ground. All the while it had been snowing, but I didn't really realize it. Anyway, so then a big gust of wind blew into my face, and it started to snow harder. I tried to run back home, but then the snow right above my head started to snow even harder and before I knew it I was caught in a snowbank. I tried to move, but then I realized that I was so darn frozen that I was practically paralysed." She stopped to take a breath.

He nodded in reply. "And how did you find her?"

"Well," Link began, "See, I was just going home, and then I noticed this mountain that I'd never seen before."

"That would be Mount Goron," said Sarah's mother.

"Yeah. Anyway, I just saw her finger sticking out of a snowbank, so what I did was I uncovered her and then I saw the cave so I brought her there."

The father turned towards Link and Sarah again. "Butler reports that you were a Goron when you brought Sarah in. Care to show us?"

"Uh—no," said Link sarcastically.

Sarah's father looked a little taken aback, but he composed himself quickly. Very well then." When Link didn't follow, he turned back, shrugged and went on his way.

Sarah adjusted herself on the slab of rock, leaning her cheek on the palm of her hand. "Is it true what they said about you being the Hero of Time?"

Link grinned shyly. "Yeah, it's true. Boy, I feel more comfortable talking to you than your father about that. No offense," he added quickly.

"It's okay." Sarah grinned. "He's okay once you get to know him. I guess I would get embarrassed too." Then she dropped her voice to a whisper. "Father says you turned into a Goron. I want you to show me."

Link nodded eagerly. He pulled the mask loose from his belt and slipped it over his face. All at once, he could feel himself changing. For one thing, he felt himself get higher in his boots, which were thickening to accommodate his large feet. His arms coiled and thickened with muscles. A Goron etched itself on his back (I get that from reading so many Animorphs books, you know, when they turn into birds? Only they didn't pop up). It tickled Link, making him laugh. Bristly beige hair layered itself on his slightly pointed head. Big brown beads sprung on his neck and he could feel a kind of wave of orange passing all over him. Gray hair popped out from under his hat, which was also getting bigger.

"Wow," said Sarah. "You can go back now." As Link put the mask back in his belt, she noticed the bracelet pushed up his arm.

"Hey, what's that?" she asked, pointing to it.

"What? Oh, it's a Goron Bracelet. It makes me pick up Bomb Flowers," he replied. "Hey, can we go check out the rest of the mountain?"

"You betcha," she said, grinning widely.

"You know, now that I think about it I never noticed this place before," said Link as they walked. "How come?"

"Well, my parents always said that Mount Goron will only show itself when someone on it is in trouble. My father is chief, you know."

"He is?"

"Uh-huh."

Link stood rooted to the spot, his eyes wide. In front of them were clusters of Gorons talking, laughing, showing their wares. A rough rock stair case led up to a similar scene.

Link's eyes bugged out. "This is amazing!" he exclaimed. "Maybe I should've lived here!"

"Link, that's gross," said Sarah, holding her head back.

"What? Oh. Right," said Link, unpopping his eyes.