The misunderstanding between them subsided once they explained their side of the story. From what he learned, the group came from a place called Feudal Japan, and they were on a quest to gather the remaining fragments of the Sacred Jewel. The information puzzled him, but it reminded him of his past adventures gathering medallions and sacred stones.

But along the way, a golden light had stolen them from their surroundings, and when they came to, they were in his house. There was no fault in their suspicions, but Link couldn't explain the odd occurrence. Was it possible they were from another world? Or was this Feudal Japan a kingdom further from Termina and Hyrule?

The dialect they spoke differed from those of Hyrule and Termina, even more so were their rounded ears. But they weren't Gerudo in any shape or form. For starters, their skin color ranged from alabaster to a slight tan, and they lacked any prominent features. Which meant they weren't from either land.

"So, that's what happened," Kagome said. "See, Inuyasha? And here you tried to kill him!"

"I was only trying to protect you! How was I supposed to know?" He asked beside the table, arms crossed.

The young girl rolled her eyes. "You could have remained calm and asked before making assumptions! All you ever do is act without thinking!"

"Acting nice won't always get you where you want! If you want something done, you handle it yourself! But that still doesn't explain the weird smell!"

"Do you realize how insulting you sound right now? Give it a rest!"

The pair continued bickering, and from all ends of the table, the other occupants sent him apologetic stares. Link sweat dropped. They were an interesting group. Unlike any he encountered. But something plagued his thoughts, and it was something Inuyasha mentioned moments ago. He said this place reeked of death, including himself. Why was that?

"We apologize for the scare earlier," The monk said. "But we now know you mean us no harm."

The slayer beside him nodded. "Thank you for giving us shelter from the storm. Oh, we don't even know your name…"

At this, a redness tinged his cheeks. "Link… I almost forgot to introduce myself…" He said, rubbing his neck. "I wish I had an answer for your situation… but I can't think of anything…"

"Do you think a demon did it?" The small child asked. "What else could have caused that light?"

Kagome frowned. "I'm not sure. Where is this place?"

"Termina!" Serena said after a moment of silence.

The group's attention shifted to the small fairy perched on his shoulder, and Link found their reaction interesting. Had they never seen a fairy? "I take it you've never heard of it?"

"No," Kagome said. "But looking at your clothing, it seems we're not in Japan…"

Shippo's eyes widened. "You're right. What clothes are those? I've never seen material like that…"

"What do you mean, what clothes?" Serena asked. "He's wearing a tunic with trousers. And you're one to talk. You're as foreign as they come. Are you travelers?"

"S-sort of," Kagome said. "I'm a priestess in training. Though I guess I don't seem like one... Miroku is a traveling monk, and Sango is a demon slayer. As for Inuyasha, he's a half demon. That's why he looks different from the rest of us. Don't let his temper get to you. He can be a little insensitive, but deep down, he's a big softy."

"Don't forget a complete idiot," Shippo said, only to receive a punch in the head. "Ow! That hurt! You big bully!"

"Inuyasha! Sit boy!"

To Link's morbid fascination, the half demon face planted onto the floor at the command. No injury presented itself on the floor by the leg of the table, but he looked between Kagome and him, stupefied. How had she done that? Link glanced at the others, but they were unamused by the situation. Was this a normal occurrence?

"For the last time, stop hitting Shippo! He's only a child!"

Inuyasha lifted himself from the wooden floor with a shaking fist. "And for the last time, I wish you would take these stupid beads off me! We're way past the point of trust, Kagome!"

"And you're getting on my last nerve! If you can't behave like a proper human being, then those beads will remain around your neck!"

Shippo rubbed his noggin and said, "I hate when you two fight! Inuyasha, can't you treat us nicer?" He asked, but the half demon ignored him. "Sorry about that, Link. This happens all the time. My name is Shippo. I'm a fox demon! That's why I have pointed ears and a tail! Just don't confuse me with a racoon dog or a badger!"

So, the girl controlled the half demon with beads. Beads which were no doubt infused by magic. The group of travelers were more than they appeared. Odd, but intriguing. "It's nice to meet all of you."

Shippo gasped. "Hey! You have ears like mine! You're not a demon too, are you?" He asked, pointing.

Demon? Was there a difference between those and the monsters he'd encountered during his past travels? Maybe so, since the child and Inuyasha resembled humans, but he answered him with a shake of his head. "No. Actually, it's fairly common among all who live in this land."

"I didn't even notice," Kagome said.

"Neither did I…" Sango said.

"Do you live alone?" Miroku asked, his indigo eyes searching the room. "You have quite a collection," He said, pointing at the weapons hanging on the wall.

Link turned halfway in his chair. "Yes. Those were from my previous adventures. The ones on the left are from Hyrule, and those on the right are from this land. It's been a long time since I touched either."

"What's Hyrule?" Shippo asked, tilting his head.

Had he any doubts about their transmigration here, he might have fallen from the chair. Link spared them any ignorance, his thoughts returning to an age five years back. "My homeland. It lies beyond the lands of Termina."

"But why do you look sad?" The child asked again.

"Because… I lost the ability to return long ago. It's… a long story. But after the door leading to Hyrule closed forever, I settled down here."

Sango frowned. "So, you're trapped here?"

"It would seem so. I hope that isn't the case for you and your friends…"

Miroku looked away and rubbed his temple. "This is unsettling… Link, do you know where this door is? The exit?"

"Clock Town. It lies beneath the clock tower East of here. But there's no use trying to pry it open," Link said, shaking his head. "A barrier surrounds it, and no divine magic can dispel it."

A scoff escaped Inuyasha. "If it's a barrier, then I can easily break it using my tessaiga!"

"Would breaking that barrier help us leave this place?" Kagome asked. "And if it worked, wouldn't it take us to Hyrule instead of Feudal Japan? Doesn't that seem… too easy?"

"I agree," Sango said. "Something else is at play here. I think the light that brought us here may be our only way out."

A murmur of agreements followed, and Link pondered. If a golden light brought them to this world, then what else could it be besides magic? The only creatures capable of harnessing such energy were the divine fairies of Termina and Hyrule. But while they had failed to send Link away from here, he wondered if the same fate awaited these travelers. If not the Great Fairies, then who else possessed such power?

"I know!" Kagome said, slamming her hands on the table. "Inuyasha. Do you still remember the scent that brought us here?"

"Yeah?"

She smiled. "If someone in Termina brought us here, then wouldn't they possess the same scent? For now, that's the only clue we have to leaving this place."

That was a possibility. Link glanced at Inuyasha. Kagome had said he was a half demon, and according to Serena, he was a canine. It made sense that he had a heightened range of smell, and with it, he could probably track down the individual who brought them here. "That's an idea…" But only if that person was still in Termina.

"Hey, what's that?" Shippo asked, changing the topic. He pointed across the room near the hearth. "Are those masks?"

At the mentioning, Link frowned but nodded. It'd been a while since he last gave the items any interest. In the past, he thought to sell them back to the Happy Mask Salesman, but the traveling peddler had vanished from the lands. Now they were nothing more but decoration taking up space on his walls. "Yeah. Do you like them?"

The child leaped from the priestess's lap and stood on his tiptoes, admiring them. "Some of them are a little creepy. But why do you have so many?"

If only he knew. Long ago, he went to great lengths to get them, but the majority were useless now. "What if I told you those masks possess a great deal of magic?"

He turned. "Magic?" He asked, catching everyone's stare.

Perhaps the correct word wasn't magic, but spirits. And he didn't want to frighten the boy with the latter. The masks he referred to were the Deku, Goron, Zora and Fierce Deity, and they aligned the wall above the hearth in a straight line.

"That's right. If you wear any of those four over there, you will harness each mask's appearance. And the strengths and weaknesses that follow."

"Are you serious? So, you transform into those creatures or something? I didn't know something like that existed! Did you use them on your previous adventures?"

"Yeah…"

The blue-eyed priestess leaned forward on her elbows. "So, I have to ask something. Are you a fairy?"

"That's right! And here I thought I'd have to explain that," Serena said, bobbing around Link. "But why are you staring at me like that?"

True to her words, the young girl looked on with clasped hands, and her eyes sparkled. "Oh, I knew it! It's just that, we don't have fairies where we're from!"

Link's brow furrowed. None? In the entirety of existence? "Then it's just as I thought. You aren't from this world."

"That's impossible! Without fairies, magic would cease to exist! The Great Fairies would never allow something like that to happen!"

"What's a fairy and Great Fairy?" Shippo asked. "And how do you know about them, Kagome?"

The young girl leaped from the chair, ignoring the stares, and began rummaging through the large backpack on the floor. One by one, she retrieved various objects. Books and sheets of parchment, and others he couldn't fathom. A triumphant hum brought her back to the table a moment after, flipping through a colorful large tome with fine print and images drawn on every page.

From where he sat, he watched her flip each page with a delicate finger, her long lashes fluttering over every word. A silence permeated the room, and he watched Serena hover closer to examine the pages.

"I found it! Right here, Shippo. See?"

He blinked and stared with an open mouth. "Wait. So, this drawing and that floating orb are the same?"

"Pretty much. What do you think, Serena?" She asked, offering the fairy a closer look.

"Well, it's not that far off, but whoever the painter was, they have an expert eye!"

Shippo squinted his emerald orbs. "I still don't see any resemblance. And what are fairies anyway?"

"The correct term is Forest Fairy, and we live in forestry places, meadows and plains! And before you ask, we were born from the holy springs scattered across the lands. Each spring produces different forest fairies though, but without our respected Great Fairies protection, our lifespans shorten."

"Whoa! So, what do forest fairies do? Can you perform magic?"

She scoffed. "Maybe in another thousand years. If we live long enough. At an early age, we search for suitable partners to maintain our growth and develop intuition. And not in any romantic sense. Link is the partner I chose a few years ago."

"Interesting," Kagome said. "Well, it's an honor to meet you, Serena! I never imagined I'd ever meet a fairy in person! Do you mind if I take a photo?"

Before the fairy or Link could ask what she meant, she whipped out a rectangular and slim object from her pocket and held it up in front of her. From there, she ushered Serena close and made a sign of two fingers beside her face. A flash occurred a moment after, and Link stood.

"What happened? What was that?"

Serena flew behind him, a tiny squeak escaping her. "Oh, my gosh! That almost blinded me!"

"I'm sorry! I forgot I had the flash on," Kagome said, lowering the object. "I didn't mean to frighten you two. I only wanted a picture so I could show my family."

A picture? "What do you mean? Are you saying that object steals a person's image?"

She blinked. "No, no! Not steal. More like… replicate. But doing no harm! I promise. Here. Have a look," She said, turning the screen.

The object in her possession revealed more than his eyes believed. A painting! No… a self-portrait! Of her and Serena! And it wasn't hand drawn! Not once had she lifted an ink brush or paint brush from her yellow sack, but the image taken by a flash of light detailed every line and curve of their being!

Link inspected the fairy behind him, still dazzled by the bizarre event, and then back to Kagome. The color remained. Nothing was amiss, and he withdrew, settling into his chair. Weird. Unusual. What mechanism required no medium or paper?

"Geez! Why don't you give them heart attacks?" Inuyasha said, grumbling. "That's the same thing that happened to everyone in the village!"

She sweat dropped. "I-I guess I forgot…"

"Don't worry! Kagome's camera box doesn't steal your soul! I promise! I've taken plenty of snapshots before!" Shippo said.

"S-steal… steal my soul? Well, whatever you did, please don't do it again! That startled me!"

"I'm sorry—"

A noise drew their attention away, so loud it spooked the occupants. Shippo clung to Kagome's green sweater as the room fell silent. They exchanged glances, listening as the thunderous poundings ricocheted off the exterior of the house. Heard above the thunder and rain.

It came from outside.

Inuyasha reached for the sword at his waist and narrowed his amber eyes. "You expecting any visitors?"

Link leaned forward and opened the glass door, securing the lantern's flame. He blew it out and grasped the hilt of his sword in front of him. "None… Don't make any sudden movements…"