Link stood lost in the shadows that surrounded him. It didn't matter if he was dead. He didn't care. He glanced each way, his ears tuning in to a soft melody; it echoed through the darkness. A mist surrounded his feet, and the music became much louder. This melody was not familiar to him, yet it held a sadness to it.

"Link? Link?" A voice called from somewhere in the darkness.

Looking each way, Link could not pinpoint what direction it was coming from. It sounded familiar. Who was it? Where was it coming from?

"Wake up! How can the fate of Hyrule rest in your hands?"

Startled, Link recognized the voice. It belonged to an old and dear friend of his, a companion from his past. Navi…

A vision formed from the darkness, and he watched as a version of his younger self awoke in a familiar room tucked within a tree, and the familiar sight of a glowing blue light with wings. His first fairy had greeted him on the day the Great Deku tree passed away. The day he would set out to save Hyrule, not realizing that it wouldn't matter.

The image distorted into a pair of familiar blue eyes, with green hair framing a small alabaster face. "Oh wow! You finally got your very own fairy! I'm so happy for you, Link!" Saria exclaimed happily. "Now you're a true Kokiri!"

Grinning from ear to ear, Link felt his face redden. "Her name is Navi. The Great Deku tree summoned me, so I have to see him."

Hearing this, Saria's smile broadened. "Really? Well, what are you standing around here for? Get going! It's not good to make the Great Deku tree wait. I'll wait here until you get back!"

The Great Deku tree, withered from age, moaned from pain. "Link, I am dying. It was already too late for me from the beginning. Now I ask of you now, do you possess the courage strong enough to quell the evil that torments this land? You are destined for great things. Because you bear the weight of the Triforce, you must save the land of Hyrule."

"But how am I destined for great things? How can I save the land?" Link, who had been unsure of who he was for years, thought himself to be a Kokiri. He was only ten years old. How was he supposed to save a land from evil?

"In time, you will understand. You will save Hyrule and peace will be restored as it should be. Only you, Link, can save us all."

"But," his voice trailed off as tears fell from his eyes. "I'm just a kid… Great Deku tree don't go—" His voice faltered when he realized that the Great Deku tree was gone. The only father he ever knew departed.

All the children of the forest gathered around the tree with gasps of surprise and fear. Upon realizing that their only father was gone, they could not help but release their laments.

Leaving the group of children, a red-haired youth with freckles and a frown on his face marched himself right up to Link, who stood watching with remorse. "You killed the Great Deku tree!" he shouted, startling the other young Kokiri that gathered around their deceased father. "It's your fault! You never belonged here! You were never one of us!"

The words hit him hard, so hard Link believed perhaps he was right. If he'd gotten to the Great Deku tree sooner, then perhaps he could have been saved. But the person responsible for his death was in fact a Gerudo man; Ganondorf.

Unsure of how to explain to him, Link lowered his eyes. "Mido… I… I… didn't…"

Tears spilled, and Mido's face reddened with remorse. "Get out! Don't you dare come back here again!"

"Link, don't listen to him! He wasn't there when it happened," Navi explained, though when she noticed her partner's distraught expression and his downcast eyes, she sighed. "Link…"

"Link… Link…"

The darkness faded away, along with the faces of those familiar and forgotten. Opening his eyes, he took notice of the candles lit in the room. Familiar voices conversed from somewhere, and Link realized he was lying on a bed.

Sitting up, Link grunted from the pain on the back of his head. He must have hit himself pretty hard. Not only that, but he realized his tunic was missing, only leaving him in nothing but his pants. Bewildered from his lack of clothing, Link took notice of the bloodied bandages around his upper torso. The events from earlier returned to him, and he noticed a lingering shadow above him.

"He's up!" Shippo shouted, catching the attention of everyone in the room. Turning his eyes back to the boy, he leaned in closer to the side of the bed. "Are you okay?"

Link placed a hand through his hair and winced when he felt the same sting and wetness upon his skin. Blood stained the tips of his fingers, running down the length of his arm. 'I wasn't paying attention…'

When he saw the monster charge for Kagome, Link had taken the initiative and threw his sword at the beast. It was reckless of him, but he had saved her. The moment his sword hit the beast, he grabbed the girl by her waist and pushed her out of harm's way, barely missing the claws aimed at them.

Kagome was fortunate, as her life was now spared because of his act. Almost breathing a sigh of relief, Link then went to pull himself off the girl, only to stop when he realized how beautiful she appeared. From a distance, her radiance shimmered, but up close was entirely different. Drawn by her beauty, Link could not tear his eyes away from her face. Her lips were parted, and her eyes closed, revealing her long lashes that brushed against her rosy cheeks. Even her hair fell around her in curls like yesterday evening. For a split second, Link had felt himself shift away when he noticed movement from beside him.

Because of his foolishness, he met the wall with wounds and a headache to go along with it. He shouldn't have allowed himself to get distracted again, but he did. What was wrong with him? These distractions were going to get him killed one day.

"Thank goodness!" Kagome's voice filled his ears, and he looked to meet hers. Bending down, she took a strange white box from the table by the bedside and began sorting through it. "We were getting pretty worried. You hit the wall pretty hard, and we almost thought the worst!"

Grunting from the other side of the room, Inuyasha gave the boy a glare. "That's why I wanted the two of you out of harm's way! Why didn't you two take cover in the cellar?"

Ignoring the half demon, Sango placed a hand over Link's forehead. "He seems to have a fever."

"Really?" Kagome asked. She turned her attention to Shippo, who sat on her shoulder. "Shippo, could you go through my bag and get me my bottle of pills?"

"Sure!"

Serena fluttered above Link with concern. "Are you okay?" She smiled when she saw his nod. "Good! Now where's your satchel?" Before Serena could open the pocket from his bag, she found herself pushed away by both women.

"Link, I'm going to need you to take this medicine. It'll help lower your fever," Kagome explained as she handed him a small pill with a can of soda in her other. Kagome noticed the disdain and uncertainty reach his eyes. "Trust me. It might taste bad, but it'll help."

Pushing her hand away, Link turned his head and pushed himself off the bed. Of course, he didn't get very far when he found himself back on the bed with Kagome, trying her hardest to hold him down.

"Stay in bed!" She warned. Almost fed up with his constant thrashing, she pushed the contents of the pill into his mouth, much to his displeasure. "Sango, hand me the alcohol and peroxide please." After receiving the medicine, she got herself onto the bed and held Link down as she sat on him. He kept kicking his feet, so what else was the priestess to do? "Hold still, this won't hurt."

From the other side of the room, the males sweat dropped. The two girls, especially Kagome, were practically torturing the poor lad, and there they were just standing there watching. Even Serena watched, though she was bemused by the entire situation.

Sango held both his arms down, wincing as his cuts bled out more from his struggling. "They've reopened again."

Almost instantly, Link stilled, much to the girl's appreciation. The strange liquid that they poured on his open wounds stung terribly, but not enough to do him actual harm. Whatever they were doing to him, he did not appreciate it one bit, especially when all the males in the room were watching.

"Sorry," Kagome muttered before softly blowing on his wounds. "Is that better?"

Instantly, he went rigid, and he felt his heart pound in his head repeatedly. The surge he felt when the girl above him eased his wounds did more than just ease the pain. Physically, he could feel her above him, and mentally he wanted to touch her, but he wanted to get away. Instead of using all his strength to push her off, he let her clean his wounds.

"Could you hand me the bandages, Sango?"

"Here,"

"Thanks."

As he sat up, she wrapped the bandages around his wound as Link looked away. A strange but also mystifying scent filled his senses. It was sweet like vanilla. He relaxed suddenly, something he hadn't done in a long time. It was nice… until she moved away.

"Done!" She exclaimed as she placed everything inside her bag.

Worriedly, Sango placed a hand on Link's cheek, only to pull away with shock. "I think his fever's gotten worse!"

"What?" Looking for herself, Kagome too gasped. Leaning herself closer to his face, Link fell back with shock. As she leaned over the bedside, she placed her forehead against his before pulling away. "You're right! His head is so hot, and he's flushed terribly!"

"Kagome!" Inuyasha's voice complained from the background. "What the hell are you doing?"

Perplexed by his sudden anger, the priestess turned around. "What do you mean? I'm checking his fever."

"That close? Looked to me like you were about to kiss him!" his face angry with jealousy. He wasn't stupid. That was the problem. Kagome was getting too close to him, though he understood because Link was hurt, but that didn't mean she had to get that close.

Upon hearing this, Kagome blushed madly. "What? No, it's just that my mom said that's the best way to tell if someone is sick!" The thought of Inuyasha even mentioning such a thing made her angry. Sure, she knew he could get jealous, but to say such things out loud embarrassed her. Of course, what did it matter to him, anyway? Every time she turns around, he's gone off to be with Kikyo. Even though he knows of her love for him, he still leaves every night to be with his old love.

"You guys should have seen him!" Shippo suddenly said, catching everyone's attention. "He sliced that monster's arm off and its attacks with his sword like it was nothing!"

Kagome smiled. 'It was something. He was so fast and determined.'

Of course, none of this mattered to the half demon as he grunted. "Well, big deal! Look at how he turned out! If it was me, it'd be different."

Sango and Miroku only shook their heads, while Shippo merely glared at the pompous jerk. "Yeah right! Link was so fast; hey I bet he's even faster than you!" He didn't notice the glare and a twitch developing on the half demon's eye as he continued on. "Link saved Kagome, but he ended up suffering from the attack. He threw his sword at the beast and it hit!"

"And he made it in one piece, too," commented the monk. "I believe we owe him our thanks for protecting lady Kagome," he explained and Sango also agreed.

Delighted that someone besides Inuyasha believed Link deserved some credit for his act of heroism, Shippo jumped for joy. "That's right!" Shippo replied with much enthusiasm.

Serena, having witnessed the entire scene, fluttered over to Link with his satchel bag opened. "Link, those injuries look pretty bad."

Hearing her concern, Kagome approached the two. "Don't worry. They'll heal in no time. It might take some time though, maybe a week before he's on his feet."

"Instead of waiting for a while, why not speed up the process?" The fairy asked, much to everyone's confusion.

"Speed up the process?" Sango asked. "You can't. Healing takes time, and with Link in the condition that he's in, it might be awhile."

Sighing for their lack of knowledge on medicine in this world, Serena rummaged through Link's satchel by his bed and pulled out a small bottom filled with a red substance. "This is called Red Potion. It will miraculously heal anyone's wounds, no matter how terrible they are. You can easily buy it in Clock Town for a reasonable price."

"Red Potion?" Miroku took the bottle and eyed the liquid inside. "You say it will heal his wounds instantly?" Miroku was doubtful of this, but also curious.

From the background, Inuyasha snorted. "Yeah right!"

"It's true!" Serena insisted, earning a nod from both Gabora and Zubora who now stood beside the bed, leaving Inuyasha standing all alone in the back.

"Actually," Kagome began as she eyed the bottle. "I remember going to a store in Clock Town and the guy there said it will give quick energy. But does it really?" she wondered.

Miroku unscrewed the cap and gave the bottle a sniff. "Smells like ordinary water."

"Hand it to Link. It really does work!"

Giving in, Miroku handed the bottle to Link's outstretched hand and watched as he swallowed the Liquid until there was nothing more left in the bottle.

Much to everyone's surprise, even Inuyasha's, the bandages fell away from Link's chest and the wounds suddenly vanished from sight, leaving behind the small scars that still marred his skin. Finally healed, Link reached for his green tunic and his belt that lay neatly folded near the bedside table.

"They're gone!" The slayer could not believe such a liquid could heal the wounds so quickly. They were even better than Kagome's medicine. "Amazing!"

"I'll say!" Even the monk was flabbergasted by the sight. "So that Red Potion is affordable in town?"

Even as Link now stood standing, Kagome could not help but stare. There were no indications of pain on his face. "Unbelievable. If we had this stuff while battling Naraku, then we wouldn't have to worry as much." Realizing that she almost forgot, Kagome turned her eyes back to her three friends. "I almost forgot. Did you get the pendant?"

Miroku, upon hearing this, shook his head. "No. The elder of the Gorons said we had to defeat the monster, and seeing as how it's no longer a problem, I guess we should head back."

"I almost forgot about that!" Shippo explained. He had been so caught up with everything that's happened in the last hour that it completely slipped his mind.

Before the group knew what to expect, they found Link was no longer in the room.

"Where'd Link go?" Shippo asked, but everyone seemed just as puzzled.

Annoyed, Inuyasha exited the house and saw the boy standing a distance away. "Hey! Where the hell do you think you're going! Get back here!" When he was ignored, he felt himself grow angry. "Damn it! I told you to get back here!"

'I need air,' Despite Inuyasha's shouting, Link continued on his way toward the Goron village. His headache only worsened with his yelling, and he was getting annoyed. Besides, who was he to tell him what to do? Link was his own person, not a slave to anyone.

"Where's he going?" Shippo asked from the door.

"I think he's going to the village to get the pendant…" Kagome smiled. "Well, let's get going!" She was tired of staying in the house, anyway.

Seeing Kagome following, as well as Shippo, Inuyasha couldn't help but grow more annoyed. "Where the hell are you two going?"

"To the village, duh!" remarked the priestess as she jogged to catch up with Link. "Hurry!"

No sooner than she said that, Miroku and Sango, followed by Kirara, trailed after the three, ignoring Inuyasha's protests. Giving up, he decided there was no use in yelling. His friends could be so difficult.

Zubora and Gabora waved to the travelers until they disappeared through the darkness of the night.

An hour later, the group came upon the village. With Miroku leading the way, they noticed torches along the path toward the giant dome like building. While on their way, they had not been attacked by any beasts, much to their satisfaction.

A figure stood at the door of the building and gave a nod of the head before disappearing inside. The group took this as a notion to follow, and so they did. Upon entry, they were greeted by many Gorons.

"What's this?" Kagome asked. "Did they find out?"

"Seems so," replied the monk, who gave a wave to some Gorons. "Thank you. Thank you!"

The elder of the tribe approached the group, wearing a smile that brightened upon their arrival. "My friends, welcome! You have done well!"

Bewildered, Inuyasha stepped forward. "How did you find out?"

Winking at the half demon, he patted him on the back so hard, Inuyasha's face met the floor; the Goron was strong. "We have our lookouts who watch from a distance. You did very well young lad," his eyes fell on Link, who merely nodded. "Here is what you wanted; the pendant for which our tribe has guarded since the dawn of time. I give it to you."

Taking the pendant, Link placed it in his satchel for safe keeping before bowing to the elder with much respect.

Pleased beyond any means, the Gorons welcomed the guests to feast, to which they declined. Rocks were on the menu, and as healthy as that sounded, they did not wish to lose any teeth.

"I believe that all of you will save the land," the elder explained. "Do not let us down!" At this, all the Gorons clapped.

Saying their goodbyes, they left the village and made their way down the mountain toward Clock Town, whose light led the way.