Chapter 10: Memories of Judo

Flarecus was a huge, awesome sight; power seemed to fill even the slightest motion of its luminous equine form while the glow of its flaming body blazed like a miniature, earthbound sun. For a stretching second, Link stared in awe and horrified fascination as the beast reared to its full height, scattering a hail of embers as its hooves churned the air. In almost the same motion, the beast craned back its head and smoke began to issue from its mouth. That served to break the trance, and Link darted to one side as a gout of flame hurtled towards the spot where he'd been standing moments before. He gasped as he had done so, the spectacle of the fire breath and the impact of his landing knocking the air from his lungs, and rolled across the hard, rocky floor of the chamber. The unicorn simply let out a furious neigh and leapt, seeming to soar, over him. Link followed the creature's flight, fighting down a burgeoning awe that threatened to leave him paralyzed, and unwittingly spotted indications that the beast was female.

"What in Hyrule—? WHOA!" Link yelped as Flarecus attempted to impale him with her flaming horn. He quickly dove to the floor and let the beast soar over him once again. "And I thought Epona had a hot temper!"

Flarecus was unperturbed by the remark and, in midflight, swept one of her hind legs towards Link. Not having enough time to avoid it, he brought up his shield which prevented the blow from shattering his bones...

...Not that it prevented the force of the blow from plowing him into the wall.

"Dang, that hurt! How am I supposed to even touch that thing when it's covered in all those flames? Obviously Sun Arrows won't do anything!" Link wondered in annoyance remembering Flarecus's golden eyes as he scrambled to his feet.

"Link, this is just a hunch, but I think her horn is her weak spot!" Navi replied. "That glow it has flares up when she attacks. Maybe it fuels what creates those flames and perhaps the unicorn can't survive without it!"

"Yeah, but I'd need to put out those flames first before I try attacking any part of her body!"

"Good point…"

"DAAAAH!" Link bellowed as he found himself raising his shield to ward off a blast of flame breath. Link's shield, by the grace of the Three, withstood the heat but the sheer force of the onslaught forced Link to the floor. "LIKE IT ISN'T ALREADY HOT ENOUGH IN HERE?"

It didn't take Link long to realize that he couldn't fend off Flarecus' flame breath forever, so he began to gaze about the room for anything that could help. The room was dotted with pillars and the ceiling was studded with jagged stalactites.

Or are those stalagmites?

Link shook off the pointless question but, as he scrambled to his feet, dawning realization sent the corners of his mouth upward.

"Navi, I'm going to try something," he proclaimed as he produced the Grappleshot.

"Just be careful and don't get yourself burned again!" Navi warned.

"You can count on it."

Link spied his target, a low hanging jagged rock directly over a pillar, and then aimed the Grappleshot. Once the claw had firmly latched onto the target, he launched himself up towards it. After landing on top of the pillar, Link found he had a better view of Flarecus's flight pattern, just as he'd suspected he would. He'd just need to make sure the beast didn't knock him off. It'd be a pretty painful landing, plus Link didn't like the idea of having to launch himself back up again with Flarecus bearing down on him. And, of course, that was assuming the fall didn't kill him. He quickly swapped the Grappleshot for his bow and took aim at Flarecus. Once the hero let go of the bowstring, the arrow successfully pierced the beast's shoulder, knocking her out of the air and sending her crashing to the floor two pillars away. Even better, Flarecus' flames had gone out upon impact. Knowing he'd only have so much time to take advantage of this, Link quickly swung himself over to her, coming to land on her head. Her body was hot, but not too hot for Link to sit there and hack away at Flarecus's horn. She thrashed beneath him and neighed wildly in pain with each blow.

Navi had been right. The horn was definitely the weak spot and even though Flarecus soon threw him off of her and took to the air once more, flames and all, Link had a smile on his face.

"Yes!" he chimed confidently.

"Link! Don't forget she may change her strategy too!" Navi warned.

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

Link proceeded to reattempt his own tactic, determined to capitalize on it as much as possible before Flarecus altered her strategy. Link succeeded three more times before Navi's warning was finally borne out. Once Flarecus threw Link off of her head once more, she'd tossed him so far that he was smashed into the wall. The impact was so tremendous that Link left behind a faint impression of himself in the wall. The grimace plastered on his face lasted all the way to the floor, the pain nearly overwhelming him. Flarecus, meanwhile, had begun flying even faster than normal, striking more frequently with her flame breath. She also continued trying to impale Link with her horn, striking in rapid succession and then flying away before Link could react. Worse, it seemed Flarecus had also found a way to counter Link's tactic, for when Link launched himself towards one of the jagged rocks again, she soared at him once more with her horn leveled for the kill. Link, however, was able to drop to the top of the pillar below in time to avoid what might otherwise have been a lethal blow.

However, just as Link landed, he saw to his horror that Flarecus landed on the pillar in front of him. She let out a deafening neigh that could have shattered glass and focused power through her horn. As she watched him, a ball of flame sparked to life at the tip of her horn. It then grew bigger, and bigger, and bigger, and bigger.

"Oh crap…" Link uttered, his eyes widening.

"Link, now is a very good time to get your butt out of the way!" Navi shouted frustratingly.

"Right!" Link nervously replied as he launched himself with the Grappleshot again just as Flarecus had reared back and launched her fireball. It struck the wall instead of its intended target, literally melting the rock into glowing magma, while Link swung towards the beast and rammed his feet into the front of her head. Flarecus was caught off guard by the blow, lost her balance and fell to the floor of the pillar as a result, allowing Link to drop to her head and strike her horn once more.

"Aw yeah!" Link happily shouted as he drove his blade into the horn several more times. "You're going down for sure, my beastly friend!"

As if she understood Link's words, however, Flarecus shook Link off of her head again, forcing him to the floor right in front of her. She then clamped her teeth about the back of his tunic, lifting him off the floor and tossing him into the air.

"WAAAAAH!" the hero bellowed as he hit the wall again side first, his ribs shrieking under the blow. His hat was knocked off of his head and landed inches away from a small lava pit. Despite the gravity of the situation, Navi could not help but giggle, as Link's hat somehow rarely fell off his head and he had grown quite attached to it, almost literally. Link's fairly unruly dirty blonde hair was sticky with sweat as he glanced over at his hat, the tip of which sat right next to the boiling lava.

"Huh? That does it! Knock off my hat and almost toast it, will you?" he opined angrily as he plucked it off the ground and put it back on. "You're going down hard!"

"Oh brother…" Navi uttered. "Then again, the hat's my hiding spot too, so I ought to be grateful, I suppose."

Despite feeling as if he'd broken something, or more likely, several somethings, Link lost no time making good his threat. He quickly repeated his Grappleshot tactic another three times, striking the beast's horn without mercy when she lay stunned. As Link delivered blow after blow, cracks slowly formed on the horn and foul smoke began to leak out. He smiled during the last few blows when Flarcus finally threw her head skyward in a shrill, antagonized neigh. She desperately attempted to keep her flames and horn lit and flew about wildly, only to crash head first into a nearby wall, her horn shattering under the impact. Flarecus's dying corpse collapsed to the floor below as several large rocks crashed down on top, burying her. Link merely stood there and panted, the heat and exhaustion getting to him.

"Finally…" he uttered as a stone slab nearby rose, revealing the small chamber in which the Jewel of Fire was probably hidden. If Link's hunch was correct, this jewel was also cursed and imprisoned Darunia, just like the Jewel of Forest had served as Saria's prison. Once he finally regained his breath, Link walked into the newly revealed chamber. It was easy for him to spot the Jewel of Fire sitting in a man-made, or rather, monster-made, crevice in the wall, enveloped in dark mist. As Link approached it, the dark mist began to disappear.

Meanwhile, down in Kakariko Village, Kelli had just departed from Impa's house. Daphnes' deteriorating health had been worrying her once more and she'd been helping him as best as she could. As she had begun her descent down the nearby staircase, however, the ground trembled suddenly, nearly throwing the heroine off balance. Kelli looked up to see Death Mountain, the maw of its crater flaring with all of its volcanic might. Kelli suddenly found herself wondering if it was about to erupt when, suddenly, a wave of fire blasted straight up into the air. As the flames skyrocketed, the dark clouds that had been hovering over the mountain began to churn like a burgeoning storm before funneling themselves into the crater and vanishing. All that encircled Death Mountain's peak afterward was the ring of white cloud that had always been there, along with a brisk, blue sky that had been long absent.

"Link…" Kelli uttered, partially with relief and partially with concern. "You did it."

"Kelli! Are you alright? What was that?" Daphnes quickly inquired as he shoved the door open.

"It was Death Mountain. The evil there has vanished! Look!" Kelli replied, unable to take her eyes off the mountain and her thoughts off of Link and his well-being.

Daphnes then turned his attention to the mountain and let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank the goddesses… Link must have succeeded. I just hope he's alright."

"So do I…"

"Hey, my sister's up there too, you know!" Vira pointed out.

"Don't worry, Vira. I'm sure they're both fine," Kelli assured with a smile. "Link's a professional hero, after all, and he'd never let anything happen to Navi."

"That's true."

Back in the Magma Cavern, Link watched the Jewel of Fire glow ever more brightly. He knew it wouldn't be long until Darunia appeared, but the evils of the mountain might take longer to reverse than those in the forest, and Link was glad for the reprieve.

"That was a close one back there," he admitted. "I haven't had a near miss like that since Termina. And, the way I froze up when Flarecus attacked, yikes!"

"I heard about the Great Dragons having a trick like that," Navi spoke up. "It's called dragon-awe. The Great Dragons were so awesome and terrifying, that people seeing them just froze up like they'd all been hit with ice arrows."

"Yeah, but that beast wasn't a dragon."

"True, but maybe whoever is enhancing these monsters is trying to duplicate the effect. It must not have worked though, because even you wouldn't be able to withstand it without the Triforce of Courage. That's probably why this didn't happen with Volvagia as well."

"I miss having the Triforce of Courage. At least those...what are those things in the ceiling anyway? Are they stalagmites of stalactites?"

"Oh, honestly! You've been in more caves than you've got fingers and toes and you don't know the answer to that?"

"Do you?"

Navi opened her mouth, but nothing came out in reply to Link's question. Before Link could rub it in, the Jewel glowed its brightest and Darunia finally appeared before him, safe and sound. The boss of the Goron tribe became wide eyed when he beheld the one Sworn Brother he hadn't seen in years.

"Link? Link, Brother! It really is you!" he blurted happily.

"Yeah, it's me. All flesh and blood," Link replied with a smile, wincing a bit as his battered ribs ached. "A little worse for wear, but here I am."

"I always knew you'd return, Brother. But holy Dodongos, you look like you jumped in Lake Hylia! I almost didn't recognize you with your hair so soaked."

"Yeah, it's too bad this Goron Tunic doesn't help sweating," Link agreed, scratching the back of his head. "Anyway, I had a hunch I find you down here. The same thing happened to Saria."

"Really? Then the rest of the Sages must be trapped within Elemental Jewels as well," Darunia surmised. "And that means those jewels have also been cursed by the evil threatening Hyrule."

"So you know about the jewels too?"

"That's right. Lady Impa found some information on these artifacts while browsing Hyrule Castle's library. We Sages wanted to learn more about the jewels, but then all of this craziness happened. Dark clouds began covering Death Mountain and I went to the crater to investigate. I also had a subordinate come along with me to hide a treasure we were guarding for King Daphnes in the Magma Cavern just to be on the safe side. I don't know if he succeeded though. I remember entering the cavern with him, but then…nothing."

"I figured as much. I found that Goron trapped in a cage in another part of the cavern. I was badly burned at the time and he rescued me. Of course, I returned the favor by busting him out of there. He didn't remember getting captured either, but he gave me the treasure saying that you wanted me to take it."

"I see. And yes, I wanted you to hold on to it for now. I never told Daphnes that I was going to let either you or Kelli take it, but I know he would approve."

"Agreed. And speaking of Kelli, I'm working with her to figure out what's going on, so don't worry too much about it. If anything else happens, you can count on us."

"Glad to hear it, Brother. Now let's return to the surface. I'm sure you've had enough of this heat."

"Psh, more like enough to last me a lifetime! I'm dying to get out of here!"

"Before we leave, there is something you should know, Brother. It is a question which I know has long plagued you and which must now be answered."

Link sucked in his breath expectantly, thinking Darunia was about to reveal the location of some powerful weapon that could turn the tide against evil.

"The difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite is that stalagmites rise from the floor and stalactites hang from the ceiling. The trick to remembering this is that stalactites have to hold on 'tite' so that they don't fall from the ceiling."

Link deflated, trying very hard to hide his disappointment and chagrin, while Navi was literally quivering in the air as she tried to keep herself from laughing.

"Thanks," Link replied simply, then adding under his breath, "though I was kinda hoping for something a bit more practical."

With that, Link took the Jewel of Fire from the crevice and followed Darunia into the blue warp portal that had shimmered into existence earlier.

Moments later, the two landed in front of the passage leading from Goron City to the Death Mountain Crater. The dark clouds that had previously covered the sky were gone, and there were no signs of a storm at all. The wreckage from the Fire Temple was still lying about, but other than that, the crater was the same as Link had remembered it. The Goron tribe had returned to their home with the lone exception of a lone Goron waiting in front of the doorway to Goron City. He nearly jumped with joy when he saw Link and his boss appear before him.

"Link! Big Brother Darunia!" the Goron exclaimed. "You both made it out!"

"That we did, and it's all thanks to our brother here!" Darunia declared with a smile.

"Aw shucks," Link replied, scratching the back of his head. "I was only helping out old friends and allies. I really ought to be going soon, though. Anymore of this heat and I'll just keel over!"

"But of course," Darunia agreed. "Keep the tunic, by the way. You never know when you might need it again."

"Definitely."

"In any case, the others will be so thrilled to see you both are safe!" the Goron continued. "Let's hurry inside!"

The trio didn't hesitate to re-enter Goron City. Just as Link had suspected, the tremors on the mountain had stopped, and all was as it used to be. Once Darunia and Link greeted the Goron tribe again, Darunia directed Link towards the largely empty bottom level. Upon reaching it and ensuring they were alone, the green-clad hero turned to face the Goron boss.

"There's one more thing I'd like to ask, by the way…" he spoke up.

"What would that be?" Darunia wondered.

"I saw that tablet in the Magma Cavern and I have the Jewel of Fire, but is it safe for me to keep it for now?"

"Oh that? Don't worry. From what little we Sages know so far about the jewels, if the Jewel of Fire is in your hands, the mountain will be fine. I suspect the same holds true for Kelli. You only need to keep it from falling into the wrong clutches again."

"Oh, good. I can definitely handle that. I'll be leaving now!"

"Farewell, Brother! And good luck!"

With that, Link waved good bye to the Gorons and headed back to the mountain trail.

Along the way, Link changed out of his sweaty Goron Tunic and contemplated on how Kelli would react when he told her he'd had a brush with death. He loathed the idea of making her worry more, but he knew she had to know, especially if she knew ways he could avoid another such brush with disaster. Besides, she might not know that potions could be poured onto the body to heal certain afflictions, and he ought to tell her. The pair had to be prepared for anything, after all, and if Kelli didn't learn as much as she could about the strength of her enemies, it could very well cost her dearly. And Link knew he could not afford that. She was his partner and it was up to both of them to protect each other as well as work as a team. He would also suggest that Kelli accompany him in dungeons from now on in case one of the two were to get in trouble again. He suspected that some of the challenges ahead would be too great for either to conquer along and, if one of them did run afoul of danger, the other could rush to the injured one's aid. This notion did, however, carry a risk. If both Link and Kelli were off exploring dungeons, then Kakariko would be left vulnerable. Link simply could not risk the lives of all the villagers and townsfolk seeking shelter there. But, if Link was killed, how safe would they be in any case?

Then again, Link also had the melody Kelli had taught him. If he knew she'd be able to find him, Link could call upon her to come to his aid if he needed it. Unfortunately, the same didn't hold true for Kelli herself. If she was hurt and no one was around, she'd have no way of signaling Link or anyone else for help. As long as Kelli remained in the village, she was surrounded by potential witnesses and people who could aid her if she sustained a serious wound. Link could only hope that, should he be in need of help again, that he was in an area Kelli could reach quickly if no one else could. His thoughts were interrupted when he finally re-entered Kakariko and spotted Kelli standing at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the mountain trail, her back facing him. Link quickly rushed up to her, glad to see that she was unharmed and that the village appeared to have remained safe during his entire trip in the mountain.

"Link!" Kelli cried when she turned around, gasping in relief. "I'm so relieved you're safe!"

"And I'm glad to see you're alright," Link replied with a smile. "What about Vira?"

"Oh, she's fine too! I asked her to keep an eye on his majesty while I waited for you. I figured you'd be returning soon. You were gone so long and we were starting to worry."

"Really? Sorry about that. That cavern I had to go through was nuts. But, I gotta admit, it was kind of fun too!"

"What? Are you insane? You just came out of a smoldering hot volcano where you could've easily been roasted to death! And you're still sweaty!"

"I know, but come on! Even you must have fun slicing monsters to pieces sometimes!"

"Maybe, but I wouldn't have a good time going through the interior of a boiling hot mountain!"

"Eh, suit yourself then."

"Kelli!" a feminine voice called out. The trio turned to see Vira racing towards them, so fast that several villagers had to leap out of the way. Her maniac speed and her frantic tone all suggested that she did not have good news.

"Vira! What are you doing here? You were supposed to keep an eye on his majesty until Link and I got back!" Kelli replied.

"Yeah, I know, but his majesty insisted that I check up on you because you were taking awhile," Vira replied. "And Navi, Link, I'm glad to see you two got back alright!"

"Believe me, it wasn't easy," Link commented.

"Yeah, Mister Hero of Time here almost got his butt handed to him," Navi added.

"What?" Kelli gasped.

"Navi, shut it. Kelli, I'll tell you later. Right now, we need to let his majesty know that I'm alright and that the Gorons are safe," Link protested.

"Ah, yes, of course. Let's hurry. You got the Jewel of Fire, right?"

"Yep, got that too."

"Great!"

With that, the friends headed for Impa's house once more, in hopes that Daphnes' condition hadn't worsened. Despite Link and Kelli's recent victories, Hyrule's fate still hung by a thread. If King Daphnes died from the strain of the crisis, then the battle might very well be lost even if the two warriors did find the Elemental Jewels. Zelda's fate was unknown, and there was no one else to lead the kingdom should the worst happen. Along the way, Link told Kelli he'd prefer not to mention what had occurred in the Magma Cavern in front of Daphnes, as the ailing king surely had enough on his mind already, and insisted that it wait until their meeting with him was finished. Naturally, Kelli agreed, and the two entered the house moments later. As before, Daphnes was in a chair in front of the fireplace, the fire blazing warmly. He did not look much better than he had earlier; his flesh had become deathly pale and his hands trembled alarmingly.

"Your majesty, I'm back! Don't worry, I'm alright!" Link quickly spoke up.

"Oh! Link! I had hoped as much," Daphnes replied, standing up with much effort and laboriously approaching the heroes. "I was confident that you would succeed in saving Death Mountain and the Gorons, but I couldn't help worrying that you'd come back injured since it took you such a long while…"

"Can't say I blame you there," Link replied, guarding his words carefully. "But all's well. Darunia and the Gorons are safe, as is the mountain."

"Excellent. By the way, I recently heard from Lon Lon Ranch."

"Seriously?" Kelli gasped. "What's going on? Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah, what of Malon and Talon? And Ingo too? Even he didn't deserve what happened over there!" Link added. Link never was too fond of Ingo, who was Talon's surly ranch hand. In the dark future, Ingo had supported Ganondorf in exchange for becoming the new owner of the ranch. The last time Link had seen him, which was when Malon had given Epona to him, he complained that Talon was too lazy. Sure, Talon didn't do much work, but at least he cared about the animals and his daughter. Ingo, it seemed, was cut from a very different cloth.

"I agree. Ingo can be a pain in the butt, but even so," Kelli replied.

"Well, they say they're fine, but they report that the ranch has been looted," Daphnes explained. "All manner of tools, supplies and even their savings have all been stolen. Undoubtedly, the monsters are responsible."

"What? Why would monsters loot a ranch?" Link wondered. "Unless…"

"They're using the tools to build hideouts or depots and maybe even weapons," Kelli finished. "Heck, a pitchfork or hammer could be used as weapons. And, the ranch would have feed for livestock, saddles, bridles and horseshoes which could be used for the pack animals moving the materials around or for enemy warhorses."

"Agreed," Daphnes replied. "The three of them had to leave the ranch to round up some stray animals and, upon their return, they discovered what had happened. Link, while they could very well obtain new tools after Hyrule is safe again, it would benefit them greatly if you could get the old ones back for them. If Kelli's surmise is correct, it may very well benefit us all."

"Oh, I can do that. I'll pay a visit to the ranch when I leave," Link agreed.

"Good. One more thing though," Daphnes continued. "I also heard from King Zora. He was keeping in touch with me and his last message was most dire. You both know how Zora's Fountain and Zora's River supply Lake Hylia and Gerudo Valley with the kingdom's water, right?"

"Yeah," Kelli confirmed.

"Well, for an unknown reason, the flow of the waterfall at the entrance to Zora's Domain has declined sharply. King Zora fears that, if this continues, the flow of water may very well stop completely."

"What?" Link and Kelli both shouted at the same time.

"Please! Not so loud!" Daphnes replied with a grimace. "The severity of this situation cannot be overemphasized. If the waterfall does stop flowing, then the monsters will be able to enter and attack Zora's Domain at will. And, even worse, the rest of us will be left to die of thirst."

"This is bad…" Kelli commented. "Link, maybe you should hold off on going to the ranch."

"Yeah, I guess I should. Do they know Ruto is missing too?" Link inquired.

"Yes. King Zora wanted to ask Kelli to help find her, but I told him I'd sent her to find you," Daphnes explained. "He was...displeased at the notion of delaying his daughter's rescue, but he did agree that both of you working to free Hyrule from this evil and save everyone was a better idea."

"Wait, King Zora remembers me?" Link wondered, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, he learned of you through Ruto in much the same way I did from Zelda."

"Oh no… I was afraid of that…"

Link brought a hand to his face. When Zelda had sent Link back seven years into the past, he landed right before his first meeting with the Hylian princess. That meant he wouldn't have met the Gorons or Zoras yet. However, the Sages remembered the dark future, so they still recalled Link and his heroics as well. Darunia had obviously passed the story on to his tribe, and now Ruto had apparently done the same. And, that meant she'd likely annoy Link again with her forwardness. Kelli giggled when she realized what the hero was thinking.

"I did hear about Ruto's little crush on you," she taunted.

"Oh, please don't bring that up…" Link begged. "Besides, I…"

"What?"

"Nothing, never mind."

"Oooh, does Link have a secret crush of his own?" Navi cut in. "And didn't you say back in the cavern that your beautiful sword reminds you of Zelda?"

"Oh ho ho…" Kelli snickered, noting Link's cheeks turning pink with embarrassment.

"Ah, the hero and his princess! How classic!" Vira put in cheerfully.

"Alright, knock it off!" Link retorted.

All Daphnes did in reply was raise an eyebrow.

"Okay…" he uttered, getting that "awkward" feeling. "In any case, Link, it's important that you investigate what has happened to the waterfall as soon as you can."

"Of course," Link complied. "I'll look for clues on Ruto's whereabouts while I'm at it as well."

"Alright. Kelli, what of your search for Judo?" Daphnes replied, turning his attention to the suddenly somber heroine. "Have you found anything more besides that necklace?"

"Sadly, no…" Kelli reported. "But I'll keep looking. Are you sure there's nothing more you can tell me about him?"

"I could tell you some things, but they wouldn't help you to determine his whereabouts. And besides that, it would please you more if Judo told you himself. Trust me. I can tell you, though, that he has become a fine young man."

"Ah… I'm glad to hear that. May we leave now, your majesty?"

"Yes, of course."

With that, the two heroes and their fairies departed the building and traveled back towards the well. Just then, Kelli remembered Link still had something to tell her.

"Now Link, you said you were going to tell me about what Navi said earlier?" she inquired.

"Oh, right… Um… Well, you see…"

Link wasn't sure how to begin. It seemed no matter what he said in his head, the end result was Kelli pummeling him.

"Link, what happened?" she demanded, only to hear Link stammer more. "Don't make me use my bow!"

"Whoa, okay, okay… I. was…almost killed," Link revealed, turning away.

"You were WHAT?"

"Oh boy…" Vira uttered. Having known Kelli for years, she knew what was coming next.

"I-I got burned really badly and it got infected!" Link explained. "Fluid built up in my lungs and I nearly suffocated! I was careless, I know, and I only lived because I happened to be near a captive Goron who had potions on him…"

"You didn't have any potions with you?" Kelli blurted angrily. "Are you crazy?"

"Hey, stop yelling at him!" Navi cut in before Link could answer. "That cavern was a tough place to conquer! You should've seen its boss!"

"Yeah, but you should always bring medicine with you!" Kelli protested.

"Well, you should quit bossing us around! Maybe Link should have brought medicine, but for your information, I almost got blown up! We both had it tough in there!"

"Navi, stop it. She's not bossing us around. Kelli knows more about what's happening than either of us!" Link protested.

"That's right!" Kelli added. "And I'm saying Link went in too ill-prepared! He should've known he'd be at a high risk for burns and heat and a whole bunch of other injuries! It's a bloody volcano! I know I wouldn't have been so forgetful!"

"So you're saying you're better than him? Now I'm really getting ticked off! I let that incident back in the castle dungeon slide, but now I've had it with you!"

"Oh my gosh…" Link uttered with a sigh and brought a hand to his face again as Navi began ramming herself into Kelli's chest.

"Ouch! YOU MUST REALLY WANT TO GET SQUISHED, DON'T YOU?" Kelli exploded.

"OH YEAH? GO AHEAD AND TRY!" Navi retorted in rage.

"OH COME ON! This is ridiculous and immature!" Vira interrupted and grabbed her sister from behind. Navi desperately attempted to pull away from her sister, but Vira's grip was too strong.

"Yeah, now you're making me angry! Put a sock in it, both of you!" Link added, yanking Kelli's arms behind her before she could pluck Navi's wings off.

"Ugh! Hey!" Kelli blurted. "Stop it!"

"Vira, let go of me!" Navi protested.

"Not until you calm down!" Vira insisted.

"That goes for you too, Kelli," Link added before she could say anything.

"Well… Fine," Kelli replied. "I realize this was childish… I suppose I'm still really upset over Judo."

"Thank you," Link replied and released her. "Navi, why don't you go under my cap for awhile?"

"I agree with that idea," Vira added. "You seriously need to chill."

"Hmph…" Navi grumbled.

"Navi, get in the hat now," Link ordered, his patience with the fairy wearing thin.

"Whatever. I don't want to see her face anyway."

With that, she disappeared beneath the brim of Link's hat.

"Link, I'm sorry if I'm being a brat…" Kelli spoke up moments later.

"It's alright. I can understand that you're worried about Judo, and Navi went through too much back in that cavern because of me."

"Yeah, I bet… Hey Link, if you don't mind me asking, would you help me out a little before you leave?"

"Sure, I think the waterfall can hold out for a bit longer. What can I do?"

"Well, I wanted to look around in Judo's house, but it's closed up. I need help finding a way in. Though I'd hate to just break into it."

"Ah, for more clues to his whereabouts. Good idea. If he really does know how to fight, then we could use his help."

"Agreed. But even if he doesn't, I just need to see him again so badly…"

"But of course. Let's go."

However, the pair hadn't taken more than a few steps when a grumbling Navi emerged from Link's hat. Obviously, she had no interest in even being anywhere near Kelli. With what might have been a rather vulgar insult in the fairy tongue, she flew off.

"Sigh… You guys go on ahead, I'll try to bring her around," Vira decided and followed.

"Alright…" Link agreed. Kelli merely nodded as the pair continued to Judo's house.

As Kelli had said before, it had been closed up. The door was boarded up and, though the curtains were drawn, Link didn't doubt that the windows were likewise barricaded. What little they could see of the interior revealed that the rooms were dark and dusty, as if it hadn't been lived in for years. The blue roof also had lost several shingles and even had what appeared to be several bird nests dotting its surface. Wherever Judo and his mother had gone, it looked as though they didn't plan on returning. Kelli sighed as she and Link came to a halt near the door.

"See? There's no way I'd ever get in there by myself," she spoke up. "But I can't help thinking there might be information in there that we need."

"I can see why. I'd suggest hacking at the boards with our swords, but then we might accidentally slice the door in the process…" Link contemplated. "Prying the boards off would work better but, unless you happen to have a key, we won't be able to get in without kicking the door down."

"Yeah…" Kelli agreed, glancing from the building to Link, which was followed by a gasp. "Link! There's a red glow coming from your bag!"

"Huh?" Link replied, reaching inside and producing a glowing Jewel of Fire. As Kelli had said, it was glowing with a deep crimson hue and was growing steadily warmer as well. He had a hunch what was coming next, and his surmise was proven correct when the jewel caused flames erupted from the jewel. The flames washed over the door, yet did not spread to the rest of the house. Within seconds, the boards sealing the door shut were burned to a crisp and fell to the ground.

"Oh… I should have guessed," Kelli commented afterwards. "I wonder if the door is locked."

"I don't know why I didn't think of the jewel burning the wood either," Link agreed. "Anyway, yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. Judo apparently went to a lot of trouble to make sure nobody got in."

Kelli then approached the door and jiggled the knob, but it did not open.

"Dang…" she groused.

"I guess that means you don't have a key after all," Link concluded. "Well, now what?"

"Don't worry, I have an idea. Judo taught me this trick a long time ago when he first showed me his necklace. It was a key of sorts and he would use it to unlock the front door and sneak out whenever his mother didn't want him outside, such as when the weather was bad or he'd been misbehaving. He just hated being inside for too long and enjoyed having fun and playing outside, rain or shine. I didn't particularly like being in rain for too long, but I joined for him anyway."

"Ah, so you lived with him?"

"Yeah, but his mother didn't want to raise me as her own. Just as a child in need. She might have changed the lock on the door though, so I don't know if the necklace still works as a key. Let's hope it does."

With that, Kelli took the necklace around her neck by its sword charm, the blood stains having been meticulously polished away, and inserted it into the lock. To Link and Kelli's pleasure, the lock clicked and the door unlocked.

"Excellent!" Kelli cried and hurried inside. Link quickly followed.

The inside was dark, so much so that neither of the pair could see their hands in front of their faces, but the Jewel of Fire soon flared to life once more. The warm light bounced off of the shiny surface of the sword necklace as Kelli moved about. The living room and kitchen, however, were quite dirty and cobwebs had formed in the corners of the ceiling. Dust accumulated on a few shelves and pieces of furniture as well.

"Wow… Aside from the filth, this place is exactly as I remember it," Kelli spoke up. "Barely anything has changed by the look of it. I really want to see Judo's room though."

"Makes sense," Link agreed, then noticed the staircase nearby. "Upstairs, right?"

Kelli nodded and led Link to a small bedroom on the second floor. It was a boy's bedroom, of a Spartan decor. The walls were painted blue, the dresser a bland brown and of decidedly unremarkable appearance, and the simple bed had plain blankets and pillows. On the wall to the left was the sole decoration; a painting of what appeared to be a Hylian knight. A small wooden desk with two chairs was in front of the window while a folded blanket was between the closet and the knight painting. Atop the desk sat an inkwell and quill along with a small book with a dark brown cover.

"Is that a diary of some sort?" Link inquired.

"Yeah, Judo's mother bought it for him, but he practically never used it. He just hated writing and studying and would have rather been outside exploring and adventuring. Much like we do, I guess," Kelli explained. "And that blanket by the closet… That's my sleeping bag. I can't believe they kept it…"

"I see…"

Kelli sniffled upon gazing at the sleeping bag. It seemed that Judo and his mother had missed her very much, making sure her modest accommodations were waiting when she finally came home. Mira very much wanted Kelli to have a warm bed, but there had simply not been enough room in the house for a spare bedroom or bed. Kelli had said she never minded this, and was grateful enough to have food and a roof over her head. She then went to open the top desk drawer, wondering if her best friend had kept other mementos from their childhood. Kelli immediately gasped and froze when she laid eyes on what she saw. She then produced a tattered sheet of parchment and on it was a child-like drawing of two figures. One greatly resembled Kelli as a little girl, as it had the blonde hair, black headband, and green tunic. The other figure was a boy with light brown hair, blue shorts, and a white shirt. Obviously, it was an image of Judo. Across the top were the words "Best Friends Forever."

"Oh my gosh… This is…" Kelli stuttered, tears forming in her eyes. "Judo and I… We called this our Friendship Pact. We made it so we'd always be best friends…"

"Wow… That is quite nostalgic…"

Kelli said nothing. Suddenly, she had an urge to open the diary, wondering if perhaps Judo had written in it after all. What she had found only shocked her more as a gasp escaped from her mouth.

"He-He did write in the diary!" she cried. It was a short entry, but the words in it would soon have an immense impact upon her life.

"Let's hear it then," Link insisted. Kelli nodded and began reading.

"'I can't believe it… Tomorrow's the big day and I'm actually writing something in this book. I'm excited, yet sad at the same time. Kelli, I wish you were here so you could come with me. I still want to cry every now and then, but I know I must stay strong for both of us. I know you're out there somewhere, doing great things for Mom and I and many others. Now it's my turn…to make you…proud…'"

At this Kelli burst into tears and dropped to her knees as she stammered the last few words.