Chapter -6-
Boss Battle

Zelda wiggled about in Link's arms. "Put me down," she told him. "It's after me. If it kills you, then all hope is lost; let me go, Link!"

"Link!" The voice belonged to LJ, by the entrance of the main palace building.

Link ran toward LJ with Zelda in his arms. The creature swung at him but narrowly missed.

Zelda peered over Link's shoulders, fascinated by the design of the golem. She made a mental note that it appeared to be roughly twelve meters in height, and its stone torso had cracks in it from the stress of its movements.

Link continued to carry her in the opposite direction of danger. He zigged and zagged, doubled back, and took short pauses behind various statues and decorative objects throughout the courtyard.

The golem began knocking over statues and a fountain while searching for its target.

Zelda waited until they were a bit further away from the golem, then she said, "Link, did you notice it does not jump or hop in any way? It does not climb over objects. If it cannot fully remove the object from its path, it circumvents the obstacle. That is surely to be its weakness … too much additional movement would likely cause it to crumble from stress."

"You have my attention, your highness," said Link as he continued toward a building at the far end of the courtyard.

"Mm, yes, well, as near as I can tell, the head rotates on the body meaning it is either independent from the body and paired to it like a Bluetooth earpiece to a Sheikah slate … or … the head might be fitted onto a shaped neck-peg. The arms appear to be the same. As are the legs, it would seem. My point is, it's not all one stone cut from the earth; it has been pieced together. Another possibility is that it may very well be some sort of skeletal technology with a stone skin atop to add fortitude at the cost of immense weight."

Link listened but didn't reply. He continued to run until he reached the steps of the palace, where he eased his arm out from beneath Zelda's legs. He saw Aryll in the doorway up ahead. "Your highness, please, take LJ's sister into the bunker. I will join you soon."

"No! You're our last hope!"

"No, I beg to differ, your highness. If anyone is our last hope, you are! I will fight that creature; it is my honor and my duty. YOUR duty is to lead the people should the Queen meet her demise. Ganon has already assassinated your father; you are its intended target. Do not give yourself to it, I beseech you. Take Aryll and find refuge within, Princess."

Zelda pursed her lips.

"Princess, please! I implore you to move with alacrity … I … I mean…" Link clenched his eyes, exhaled in an exasperated manner, took a deep breath, and spoke to her with a softer tone. "Allow me to entreat you, your highness; I am pleading on behalf of the sacrifice your father made for you to become the next ruler of this nation. Do not allow your father's murder to be meaningless. You will be the savior of Hyrule, but in order to provide it with the leadership it requires, you must make haste."

"But…"

He pointed back at Habuta, roughly fifty feet away. "The lady from the hospital was telling me that all the leaders of the land, from all the regions throughout the nation, were in attendance of that station during Ganon's attack, earlier. The likely outcome is that there is no one left in Hyrule's time of need! You … you are the leader of Hyrule and all its surrounding regions, now. So, I implore you, with all due respect, GO!"

Zelda swallowed and clenched her hands into fists. "We will find my mother and avenge my father together but … for now…"

"PLEASE!" Link erupted, pointing back at the creature tearing apart the courtyard. "It is searching in a pattern, and it shall soon be upon us with the utmost zeal. It will not hesitate to crush you beneath its heel. That is not an ending fit for the likes of a woman so resourceful, brilliant, witty, and clever. But, at this moment, all your political power means nothing to that creature. You must protect yourself."

"I can fight, Link. You cannot do this on your own! I cannot send the champion of Hylia to his death!"

Link took her firmly by her shoulders and met her gaze. "Do not hesitate to send heroes to their death, especially if the outcome is the protection of Hyrule and its subjects."

"They are no longer subjects; we gave them the right to dwell in the land of Hyrule. They are denizens. I … I'm sorry. I have … I'm sorry."

"You have known nothing but peace, and you're processing your grief. This is why you must regroup and lead, not fight. Please. We need a plan, now more than ever, and I beg of you to take Aryll somewhere safe and … I believe the saying is 'brainstorm.'"

Zelda nodded. Her eyes glistened with emotion, but her face showed resolve. "What if I cannot lead as my father has?"

"Your ability is not in question, Crown Princess Zelda. You are the leader, now. You are higher in rank than your branch field marshals, and you have trained and studied your entire life for this moment, but you cannot hesitate. You cannot stand your ground and question fate, enemies, or yourself. You must act. First for your survival, and second for the survival of your nation, so that you may protect it. I believe in you, now you must believe in yourself. Find your inner resolve, let it guide you, let it become your confidence, and then act decisively until the ashes of Ganon's corpse are disposed of in the hottest lava at the furthest reaches of the Sacred Realm. Now, go to your war room and make Hyrule proud, for this nation is your child, and you must do whatever you are able to keep her safe from harm."

Zelda stared at Link with awe. Her lower lip trembled; she nodded in agreement.

Aryll hurried over with Habuta in tow. The young girl said, "That was the best battlefield pep-talk I've ever heard, and I've watched a lot of action flicks with LJ. Um, Princess, your highness, we really should get moving."

Zelda looked from Link to Aryll, then back to Link. She replied with a decisive nod and headed up the stairs. "Ms. Habuta, with me." Filled with adrenaline, Zelda scooped up the thirteen-year-old Aryll like an oversized toddler and ran into the palace.

Habuta followed Zelda and Aryll to safety.

LJ waited until the women were inside the building, then he approached Link from behind. He pulled the hookshot out of his satchel and handed it to his ancestor, who quickly equipped the gauntlet to his left forearm. LJ cleared his throat and asked, "What do you want me to do? Take them inside or help you?"

Link looked around the large crumbling courtyard. He cut his gaze back to the three-story monstrosity. He pointed to the guard armory. "LJ, attend me. Find any miscellanies of relic or artifact in that building and bring it to me. Something capable of taking this creature down!"

"Got it!" LJ hurried toward the armory, across the way from the building with the bunker.

The monster swung at LJ, trying to hammer him with an enormous fist.

LJ saw the shadow on the ground due to the large emergency floodlights all around the palace grounds. He dove out of the way at the last possible second, got back to his feet, and continued toward the armory.

Link withdrew the Master Sword and hurried toward the creature towering over the courtyard. He pointed the hookshot upward and fired it.

The grapple launched into the air and struck the side of the stone creature but didn't penetrate its thick stone-like hide. It fell back to the ground and began to retract just as it met the cobblestone courtyard path.

The creature swung at Link.

Link jumped up, ran along the monster's arm, then he dove into the grass, and rolled away from it. He got back to his feet and turned around, eyeing the being. A weakness didn't immediately present itself.

Again, it swung at him. The large fist struck the ground, sending cobblestones in all directions.

"You will not be the death of me, Duke of Limbs." Link jumped up onto its arm again, but this time he drove the Master Sword into its forearm and held on tight.

The three-story golem lifted its arm again then looked around, as though searching the ground.

Link held on for dear life from the handle of his sword.

The creature lifted its arm high in the air and bellowed at Link in rage.

Link fired the hookshot at the head, below him.

Surprisingly, the grapple disappeared into the crown of the golem's head with a solid grip. The retracting mechanism pulled Link down from the arm with his sword. He crashed upon the monster's granite crest with a grunt.

Dazed and momentarily confused, Link sat up atop the creature's head. The wind rustled his hair and chilled his face. He pinched his eyes shut, shook his head, then crawled forward and peered down over the creature's eyes and nose. "Have at thee, addle pate. I will send you back to that robed fussock, Ganon, in pieces!"

He drew his sword and plunged it into the golem's eyes, expecting to be thrown from it. But the stone monster remained unfazed and seemed to continue its search along the ground for a target. Link gave the sword a firm shake, up and down, left and right, then he pulled it free of the granite eye.

The golem continued to tromp about the courtyard, searching for Link or Zelda.

Link looked at the blade, relieved it was unharmed, and then sat up and looked around again.

The large creature made its way in the direction of the palace and slammed its arms down, obliterating the front wall.

Link held on for dear life, so as not to fall from the head. "Consarn you, goddess-forsaken puttock," he grumbled, clinging to the head of the golem so as not to fall from it.

It stormed forward, marching right into the elegant palace. Everything happened quickly. Link felt his body fall…

And then there was chaos, loud noise, a suddenly solid surface; it all happened in the blink of an eye. There was a sharp pain, which rolled across his body.

Link came out of an inelegant roll; he sat up with a grunt on a carpeted floor.

In front of him, the wall of the once-stylish guest room had crumbled away. He stood up, able to see out over the compound walls. The glow of orange fires consumed a part of the city in the distance.

The palace shook. The floor groaned. He made his way to where the wall and floor had a large hole caused by the creature's flailing arms at the time of impact. He looked down to the courtyard ground, four stories below him. He tried to think of how he could have wound up higher, on the fourth floor, but it all had happened so fast that logic failed him. "By the goddess' bones, I will find that wandought and drive this sword through his throat, the contemptable sard…"

Link took a deep breath, followed by closing his eyes. "LJ has but inherited my darkest secret, and I only now see it. By the goddess, I dare say I am tenfold poorly spoken when alone." He exhaled through clenched teeth, then took another deep breath to calm himself. "Think, Link…"

He remembered the wise man that trained him, telling him that during battle, sometimes things could become confusing and disorienting. Link took a deep breath and blinked his eyes several times. After a few seconds, he exhaled, then repeated the deep breath. He opened and closed his jaw a few times to get the blood flowing to his brain while continuing his breathing exercises.

His senses returned.

He looked around, again taking note that he was on the fourth floor of the palace, looking out over the courtyard where a section of wall was missing, as well as part of the ceiling and the roof of the floor above him.

Water spurt from a nearby wall where pipes had been broken, and an LED strip of emergency runner lights along the baseboard, behind him, glowed an amber hue.

"How did I survive that?" Link brought his hand to his face and rubbed his forehead. "Very well. By the will of the goddesses, then."

The palace trembled. It quaked so hard that he stumbled to all fours. Link scrambled to his feet and through a door to a beautifully decorated hallway. He paused briefly to look around.

The palace shook again. A thin layer of plaster dust came down from the ceiling. A glob of blond stuck to his forehead, marred in sweat.

Link took off down the hall. At the end of the hallway, he found a stairway and hurried down two steps at a time.

On the third floor he dashed out into the next hall, similar in design to the one up on the fourth floor. He expected to see the head of the creature through a window or possibly elsewhere, but it was nowhere in sight.

The third floor had no facing wall; it was designed to overlook the lobby. The railing was missing, however, and a section of missing floor appeared to have been collapsed already from where a support pillar was likely knocked down during the golem's rampage a few moments earlier.

Link dove over the hole in the flooring. He continued up the hall then peered over the side but still couldn't see the creature. He ran up the hall and found another stairwell, then he took it down to the first floor. He came out on the far end of the enormous once-elegant lobby and hurried through.

He followed the devastation, vaulting over chunks of debris. Water sprayed from a pipe up ahead, flooding the marble tiled floor. From the left, the water was cold. On the right side of the enormous gap made by the creature, scalding hot water gushed freely.

Link hurried through the water spray, using his hands to protect the right side of his face from the scorching spray.

He dashed through a dining area. The table was in splinters. He followed another hole in the wall, through a kitchen, and out into a strangely designed area with crates of food and a ramp with a strange rolling metal door where a box truck was parked. The side of the 'semi,' as he'd heard LJ refer to them the other day, had been eviscerated. Boxes of food were splayed across the pavement all around its chocked wheels.

The adrenaline in his blood made Link notice every detail with sharp clarity, including the stench of rotting food in the dumpster at the end of the alleyway. Up ahead, he saw the creature in the grass behind the castle's kitchen area loading dock.

Overall, the castle grounds were impressive and well maintained by a loving landscaper, but a swath of large footprints had decimated the landscape, despite all the hard work to maintain it in the past.

The creature continued to tromp about the castle grounds but … it stayed in one spot.

Link narrowed his gaze, quick to realize that the golem's foot seemed to be stuck in a manmade water trench.

Link quickly glanced around, checking his surroundings. He pointed the hookshot up into the air and fired the grapple into a deck on the third story on the back wall of the palace building. The device pulled him off the ground at a rapid pace.

He climbed up onto the side of the deck, no longer able to smell the dumpster behind the kitchen.

He hurried down a hall that ran alongside the courtyard, approaching the golem from the side.

Halfway down the hallway, where the wall facing the courtyard had collapsed, Link hopped up onto what used to be a deck railing, but now resembled twisted and gnarled metal. He put his foot on the bent metal, leapt off the side, and landed on the creature's head once more.

Link used his sword to grab purchase on the granite body of the creature. He struggled down onto the creature's shoulder and jammed the Master Sword into its neck. A large section of granite flaked away, leaving a large gap in its neckline.

"LINK!" The voice came from far below. "LINK, get off that thing!"

Link gazed over the side but didn't see anyone. He jammed his sword into the golem's throat again, chiseling out another chunk of stone.

The creature jerked its leg free of the trench, enraged, then it pivoted back toward the palace.

Link, off balance, tumbled backward.

In the back of his mind, he felt his boots brush against the creature's back as he kicked wildly in a free fall.

On instinct, he held his left arm out and closed his fingers in on the hookshot triggering mechanism. The grapple found purchase on the side of the palace and pulled him back upward before his body could hit the ground.

He struck the golem in passing then hit the wall, hanging by his left arm, several stories from the ground. Link hung there, dazed again, watching the golem stomp around in the middle of the castle grounds.

Link heard the voice again. The person shouted, "Now!" Link's eyes followed the voice to LJ and a castle guard.

The soldier, standing beside LJ, fired something from a grey tube. A flash of light trailed out behind a projectile of some sort, which launched from the weapon. The tube-shaped missile flew past the golem, arced around, then struck the rear right shoulder of the living statue.

The explosion blew the right arm from the golem's body. The shockwave sprayed debris at Link, pelting him with stones and dust. He looked down at the arm lying in the grass, motionless.

The soldier adjacent to LJ began to load another round into the strange looking weapon tube. The guard pointed it at the creature but didn't see the other arm swipe horizontally, bowling over both the soldier and LJ.

Link felt his heart leap into his throat.

LJ, down on the grass, climbed out from beneath the guard's broken body, causing Link to sigh in relief. LJ picked up the surface-to-air shoulder-mounted weapon, trying to figure it out.

With a groan, Link reached up and began pulling himself along the outer façade of the palace. He put his foot against the wall, dislodged the grapple and pulled himself back onto a third-story balcony. "Self-propelled missilia, horseless carriages, hand-held pocket bricks that receive motion images of cats … yet a golem still cannot be struck down in a single blow. LJ was right … the future needs more if they hope to have any chance against one such as Ganon."

Out on the castle grounds, LJ thumbed a button under a plastic cover. The round burst from the tube while blowback scorched the grass, leaving a mark in its wake. LJ stumbled to the ground.

The image-rec guided missile lanced upward, came about in an arc, same as before, and struck the golem in the center of its lower back. The hip section blew away from the body and the legs shattered. It collapsed to the ground and began to pull itself through the yard with its one remaining arm.

Link shot the grapple into an adjacent third-story balcony then swung out beneath it. He put his feet on the palace wall and pushed off it then released the hookshot gauntlet. He flew through the air and landed upon the creature's head again.

Seeing the concussive force of the blast had hurt it, he decided to change his method of attack. Link shoved his hand into his pocket and withdrew two golden medallions then held them against the handle of the Master Sword. He lifted the sword up and jammed it into the creature's head.

The first of the two medallions, the quake medal, sent a shockwave throughout the golem from the inside out, that shook it to the core. The second golden metal, the bombos medallion, caused every joint of the being to explode at the same time. It burst into flames then exploded.

LJ threw his hands over his head to protect his face.

The stone statue shattered into thousands of pieces and burst apart, sending pebbles and rockets in all directions.

Link fell from the head, now only a story high because of having its waist and legs blown off earlier.

He landed on his back in the grass, arms outstretched, with the Master Sword in his left, and the medallions at his side.

LJ ran over to him and started talking to him.

Link could hear the concern in LJ's tone, but nothing made sense.

"Link!"

Link stared back with an empty gaze. "Wh… huh?"

"Link, you're shell-shocked from the landing!"

Link stared at LJ in confusion.

"Dude, Link, you okay?!"

Link smacked his lips together, unable to speak. His lungs hurt, having had the wind knocked from his torso. He formed words with his lips.

"I can't … wait, what? Just wait, your breath will come back in a moment." LJ helped him to sit up. He put his hands on Link's back and leaned him over, then eased him back again, trying to help him work his torso muscles to help Link's diaphragm. "Look, Zelda and Aryll went down to the bunker with some lady. Snap out of it."

Link found his voice, finally, after what felt like an eternity. "You have … my thanks … LJ. Are you sure they made it?"

"I can't believe I'm going to say this but … have faith. C'mon, let's go get underground, too. Can you walk?"

Link pointed up to the hookshot dangling from the bottom of a third story balcony.

LJ stole a skyward glance, frowned, and afforded Link with a shrug. "We won't need it in a bunker. It's worth more to an archeology team, and they'll get their hands on it when all this blows over. Anyway, we should get down below. I heard from soldiers in the armory that the rest of the city is under siege ten times worse than last week's attack. The two of us, alone, can't take on several golems made out of granite and gold."

"Made from granite and gold?" he said in a slightly raspy tone, still trying to swallow down a lung-full of air. A pause, then Link scrunched his brows. "There is … more than one?"

"Yeah. And a report came in that there's a giant spider, also made out of gold and stone, which is making its way through downtown Hyrule. One of the soldiers called it something weird."

Link frowned. "Gohma?"

"Y-yeah, I think that's it, actually. What is it? They said it's as big as the thing we just fought, but with eight legs."

"We can't fight them all alone."

"That's what I'm saying. Let's get underground!"

"This is an invasion," Link said with a sigh. He got to his feet and examined the Master Sword then slid it into its sheath. The sword clicked into place within its scuffed scabbard.

"And it's up to us, is that it?"

"Feeling heroic yet?"

"If I can learn to go around the courtyard with a hookshot, like you just did, then maybe. If I can learn to do it without having my shoulder dislocated, then even better."

"You must increase your muscle mass, LJ. When the dust settles, as the saying goes, you will have filled out with a great deal more upper body strength than you now possess. Come, let us regroup."

The two walked back into the palace. They saw a guard, alive, but trapped beneath a beam.

LJ and Link moved with a sense of purpose and lifted it off of him, careful not to hurt him further. They discarded it onto the floor about three feet away. "How do you get down to the bunker?" LJ asked of the soldier.

"Follow me … and thank you, gentlemen," said the guard. He limped but seemed otherwise unharmed.

The trio made their way out to the lobby.

A statue that was half-broken off the pedestal was in the middle of the floor.

The guard nodded toward the base and, with the help of LJ and Link, pushed it to the side to reveal a staircase. They each headed down under the floor. A moment later, the base of the statue slid back into place with an obnoxious scraping sound from the minor damage to its tracks.

They hurried to an elevator platform. Link and LJ followed the guard onto the lift.

The royal guard used a key code and a magnetic swipe card to activate the elevator. It began to descend into the shaft.

"Are you well?" asked Link.

"Yeah," replied the soldier. "I was just … pinned, but I'm not hurt. I'll be achy tomorrow. What was that thing out there?"

"Trouble," said Link. "Usually, the dungeons I've had to fight my way through are run by a type of 'boss of the keep.' This is the first time I've seen an enemy that large out in the open. Other than explosive forces, he seemed otherwise invulnerable to attacks." Link paused then asked, "LJ, what did you use to destroy it?"

"You're the one who destroyed it. I just injured it. Anyways, yeah, some kind of RPG, man. Never mind, you don't know what those are, do you?"

"Afraid not. That is modern technology?"

"Yup. We blew that thing apart. And to think there are several more just like it … that's sobering."

"Yes, indeed it is."

"Tanks are not working," said the soldier. "Those damned golems are picking up the tanks and throwing them, so, uh, no … they're not effective. I mean, we're talking over sixty tons of depleted uranium Chobham composite armor, not to mention the turbines, the howitzers, and the solid metal frames. I mean, who in the Seven Sages knew that stone creatures can flip and toss tanks? But, joking aside … it's bad."

Link frowned. "Tanks … those are the nation's mobile siege engines, yes? All right, gentlemen … we require a plan of action, as suggested by LJ. We must draw back for the time being, so as to lick our wounds and determine our next move. Princess Zelda cannot lead her people if there are no people left to lead."

"Yeah. Good goddess, though … I can't believe you fought that damned thing with just a sword, man. That thing was crazy. You ballsy bastard." He bit the center of his top lip then leaned back against the elevator siding and laughed in spite of himself. "Don't tell Aryll I cuss. I'd be out of rupees in a hot minute if she knew. I feel better that we're gonna be so far underground, though."

"Hmm … my mood will be ameliorated when we know that the Princess and your sister are safe."

"Have faith," said LJ. "Again, I never thought I'd say that in a million years. But it keeps coming out today. Anyhow, I've got a good feeling. I've seen you fight twice, now. If you really are The Great Hero, and I really am related to you, then I have no qualms about feeling cocky that we're going to get through this goddess-damned mess."

"We're going to need help," said Link. "Ganon laughed in my face and said I'd never completely destroy him because he's too powerful to fight alone. Perhaps he was right about that. I brought him down hard and it seems that he's still alive in some form or fashion. That's concerning to me. However, I have an idea. Albeit one that is a bit … strange; non-conventional."

"Unconventional."

"Understood."

"Shit, are you making jokes to break the tension? That's my thing, heh."

"Indeed. So, you wish to know of my outlandish idea?"

LJ nodded. "I mean, yeah. Like, we need crazy to fight crazy. And I mean that literally. For real, we're fighting insanity, man. Goddess-damn insanity." LJ sighed and shook his head. "Sorry. I didn't mean to… Not trying to be a Debbie-Downer. So, what's your plan, Link? Please tell me it involves more people that can fight like you."

Link grinned weakly and favored his shoulder with one hand and his arm with his other. "You are not far from the mark, LJ. We still have access to the Temple of Time. The rest of it is beneath the Royal Compound."

"Okay, I'm listening."

"Indeed. Know that there is technology located on the premises, which may allow us to travel to the past and locate the rest of our ancestors so that we might bring them here, together, to repel Ganon's forces."

"Wouldn't that create a temporal paradox?"

Link blinked in confusion. His forehead scrunched up a bit. "A … what?"

"In sci-fi shows 'n movies, changing the past and future at the same time and meeting yourself or different versions of yourself somehow changes things that mess up time and cause the world to end."

Link arched his brows in confusion, staring at LJ for a moment.

"What, man?"

With a shake of his head, Link said, "You and I have now met. I'm from the past. You're from the future. We are related, but certainly not the same person. And my plan is to find a way back to my time so I can live out my life. In short, I am here; I will one day return home … yet the world never ended."

"That's debatable," said the nearby soldier who had been quiet up until now. "Haven't you looked outside?"

"That is different," Link said. "That's an invasion."

LJ rubbed his chin. "You might be right. But how do you know this plan of yours will work?"

"It must." Link frowned.

The elevator continued to descend the shaft, rumbling down into the belly of the facility.

Link leaned back against the wall with a frown. "It must," he repeated in a softer voice. "We'll talk it over with the Princess and consider all our options. But … to me, it seems as though it would be our best course of action. I just hope it works."

With a nod, LJ said, "Boy this is going to get weird if it works."

"Quite so. Thank you for your help with that golem creature."

"Yeah, no problem. We kicked that boss' ass, didn't we? We make a beast team."

"Again, you have such a strange way of speaking, LJ. I'm still getting used to your odd figurative euphemisms. Although, I dare admit, some of your colloquialisms are rather amusing at times."

"Whoa, you have a sense of humor? You hide it so well."

"Ha." Link smirked.

"So, like, we're really going to try and get versions of us from various times throughout history? I mean, you know … ancestors or whatever? I'm going to meet my great, great, etc., grandparents from throughout history? Good-Goddess, I hope this works, because right now just talking about it sounds bat-shit crazy."

"LJ…"

"It's fine. Aryll isn't here to hear me cuss."

"Indeed. You still shouldn't let habit root so deeply, as it will be difficult to control around her. At any rate, our lives will soon become far more strenuous … far … harder, as it were, going forth. Or, as you say, 'from here on out.'"

"Harder?" LJ replied with a dry chuckle. "Great. I'm so looking forward to that." LJ took a deep breath, followed by a sharp exhale. "Ah, to hell with it. Bring it on. If I was meant to die, I'd already be dead after today, right?"

"Perhaps that is one way to consider things. Regardless, I owe you my gratitude. Your help has been a great boon, LJ."

"No problem. Let's talk to the princess and my sister first. Aryll is obsessed with historical figures and Princess Zelda will probably have access to some … ancient library books to pinpoint when and where to go … and that's if time travel really is possible."

"You are quite correct … Princess Zelda will have access to the archaic tomes necessary for our mission. And, yes, it is a reality. Now it is your turn to have faith."

"Heh. Funny."

"I was known as quite the man of comedy in my time."

"Must have been a boring time, where people only laughed once a month."

"Mm. I know you laugh at your own jokes far more than anyone I have ever known."

"That's because I'm actually funny," said LJ. "Anyway, let's go talk to the girls. They'll know a way to figure out when, where, or who to help us, I'm sure."

"You were right in saying this is a very deep cavern." Link folded his arms. "Insofar as the ladies having access to knowledge and research that will help us on our quest through time … we can only hope."

"Wait, we're not going to get stuck in the past or anything, right?" LJ cleared his throat and reworded himself. "What I mean is, we're going to survive this crap, right?"

Link offered a wan smile. "We can only hope," he repeated.

X

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A/N: HAHA, BOSS FIGHT! :D Gotta love doing boss battles in novel form! xD

That was fun. Will have to do another some time! OKAY! Now we know what's going to happen in this story! We're going to create an army of Links from various times throughout history, after they'd already completed their own personal quest, and are at their absolute strongest. The only hard part will be getting back to the pedestal of the Master Sword in each part of history. Maybe it's best they avoid the part of history where Hyrule was at the bottom of the OCEAN, huh? Lol