So, an astute number of you may have noticed that I've changed my name… again. I just think ChillifyVilify suits me very well, and Darth Furiz was a relic of the past that I wanted to cling to for a while. Fortunately, I'm past that now, and this new pen name is really great.
Anyway, I think Link is happy with Dodongo's Cavern, and we made a lot of progress with his grief over the course of the last few chapters. Let's see...
RRRP:
ChangelingRin: Yeah, the 'one hand / other hand' thing is supposed to be the same all around. I didn't mean for it to be a joke, though; it's a good thing because it means that Link isn't senile, but it's a bad thing because it means that Zelda #1, who told Link that she and the other Sages would remember, was lying. This leads Link to believe that he was abandoned intentionally. Regarding the Deku Shield, they're made of bark. That stuff's pretty light, and I wager that Link's Stalfos Hand can support its weight, just not anything more than that.
Similarly, I can't wait to drop MQ Jabu Jabu. It's going to be… an experience.
DISCLAIMER: If I owned The Legend Of Zelda, Nintendo would have filed for bankruptcy by now, and by extension, Smash Ultimate would not be a thing that exists. I'm sorry, but it's the truth.
Chapter V: Magic Nightmare
The boulders exploded, allowing Link to climb higher up the side of the volcano. He leapt across the small canyon and hoisted himself onto the ledge, eagerly picking up the Red Rupee formerly tucked underneath the rock. Glancing inside of his bag, he idly noticed that he had nine Gold Skulltula tokens, and there was a tenth inside of the Death Mountain Crater. He relaxed, reassuring himself that everything would be okay.
"Leetle man?" Ivan said, shaking his partner out of his doldrums. "Ivan has a thought, but Ivan doesn't want you to get your hopes up too much."
"What is it?" the Hylian grumbled.
"Ivan thinks that maybe the Great Fairies have the power to restore everyone's memories," he said carefully.
It was like a ray of hope had shot through Link's entire being. He stopped slouching, finally, and felt a newfound power coursing through his veins. His eyes brightened, to the levels they were before he had been sent back by Zelda, and a genuine smile crossed his face for the first time since Ivan had met him. Even with orders not to get his hopes up, Link struggled to not anticipate the return of everyone's memories.
"What are we waiting for! Let's get going then!" Link said happily, sprinting further into the canyon.
"Link! Wait! You're approaching an active volcano! It might-" Ivan started, only for the aforementioned mountain to start spewing molten rock and flaming boulders, nearly hitting Link in his mad dash towards the volcano's peak.
It was at that moment that Link realized that he didn't have a Hylian Shield. And he was out of magic.
This couldn't end well.
A rush of adrenaline accompanied the realization, and Link found himself sprinting at full throttle towards the mountain, barely avoiding being scorched by the falling rocks. On occasion, a smaller one would hit him on the top of the head, but he ignored it. Ivan was by his side, screaming something at him- whatever it was, it wasn't important. A few minutes later, the onslaught of rocks and magma stalled, and Link found himself up against a rough wall infested with Skullwalltulas. Suddenly realizing what he had just done, Link plopped himself down heavily on the warm earth. He was suddenly exhausted from the exertion, and he spent a few minutes catching his breath and lamenting the loss of his water.
Link cricked his suddenly stiff neck before pulling out his Slingshot, letting it fly towards the nearest Skullwalltula. One fine hit sent it tumbling to the ground, instantly withering away and revealing one Rupee. Link took the Rupee and continued climbing, ignoring another Skullwalltula, which was Mind Hacked by Ivan when it tried to charge at Link. The Hero in question didn't even bat an eye, instead clambering up to the last small plateau and sniping the last Skullwalltula, letting it crash to the ground below. He took a second to play Zelda's Lullaby in front of a nearby Gossip Stone to lure out a fairy, which he used to heal himself entirely.
If Ivan objected, he didn't say anything.
Once his injuries had been taken care of, Link hauled himself up to the tippy-top of Death Mountain, ignoring Kaepora Gaebora's speech and jogging into the Crater, killing the Skulltula, and leaving again before blowing up an obvious cracked wall and walking inside.
Except for the fact that he didn't.
Instead of walking through the obviously empty hole in the mountain, Link met some sort of impassable force field right where the wall had been.
"Uh, Ivan? I did blow up the wall, right?" Link inquired. "I'm not going insane, am I?"
"Ivan is just as confused as you are," Ivan confirmed. "Ivan will go inside and check. Talk to the owl for a bit. Khorosho?"
"Okay," Link replied, squatting on the cool stones and listening to Kaepora Gaebora blab on and on about how Link didn't look much like the Hero. He knew! Could Rauru's reincarnation stop squawking his disapproval now?
A few minutes later, Ivan returned. "Prostite. The Great Fairy sensed your Stalfos hand and thought you were a malevolent being. Ivan has sorted it out, and you can go in now."
"Thanks, Ivan," Link said, practically glowing as he stepped into the now-unblocked tunnel.
Inside was a small stone passageway leading up to a large, water-filled basin. Link took the time to fill his canteen from the flowing water to either side of the stone. The Hylian had to admit, it was quite serene and calm in the Great Fairy Fountain… at least, when the Great Fairy herself was not visible. The Great Fairies were wild fay, wearing little more than vines, far too much makeup, and combat boots, they always stared at Link like he was a steak specially prepared for them to devour, and most importantly, they had possibly the most terrifying laugh he had ever heard. Ganondorf had nothing on the Great Fairies sometimes.
Despite not really wanting to, Link pressed his wooden ocarina to his lips and played Zelda's Lullaby. The water cascading down the sides of the room, combined with the soft crackling of the two torches on either side of him, served as an oddly melodic accompaniment to the song. If Link could, he would have captured that sound in something and held onto it forever, just to hear the water and the fire and the ocarina again. Hell, it almost made him forget how much the song hurt him.
Almost.
With first a laugh, and then an even louder one, the Great Fairy burst from the water and perched herself in midair, staring down her obnoxiously long nose at Link from her lofty perspective.
"So you're the dark energy I sensed," the fairy hummed. "To be quite frank, I was expecting a little… more."
Oh, and now you're sassing me? Holy shit, this is getting ridiculous, Link thought.
"How did this come about?" she inquired, adopting a position of laying down in midair, her head supported by her hands.
"Blame the fact that the forest knows I'm an adult," Link grumbled. "Look, lady, I know you don't want me to be here, so can we cut the pleasantries and get down to business?"
"Leetle man should pay proper respect!" Ivan demanded in a whisper.
"Peace, Ivan. Link hit the nail right on the head," the Great Fairy stated rather drolly. "The dark energies in that hand of yours are an active detriment to the state of the Fountain. Therefore, I must insist that we get this out of the way. Normally, I would grant you the Spin Attack, but you already know the Goddess Spin from your last quest, don't you?"
Link froze, unable to comprehend what he was hearing. The Great Fairy remembered. She remembered everything. An unfathomable euphoria surged through his being as he realized that not all hope was lost. He could get it back. He would get it back.
"Y… you remember?" the child asked, doubting his every word.
The Great Fairy smiled in a mildly creepy fashion. "Of course. It wasn't that long ago. Five days, three months, seven years, four centuries… I'm not quite sure. Time flows strangely in the Fountains."
"Can you give everyone back their memories?" Link asked, praying silently that she would answer yes. Everything was almost over. "I'll do anything! Absolutely anything! Name something and it's yours! All yours! Some artifacts, another person, my gratitude, my items, my service, my l-"
"No, I cannot."
Link froze, undying thanks hanging on the edge of his lips. He said nothing, trying and failing to understand why, why, why.
"W… what? Why?" he finally choked. Ivan, sensing Link's distress, fluttered closer and perched his comforting weight on Link's left shoulder.
"Because the people you knew in that time are gone," the fairy explained. "Zelda is gone. Impa is gone. Groose is gone. Pipit is gone. They've been lost to time, but you have not. Their counterparts in this era are inexorably different from the ones you knew and loved. And you still have a job to do, Hero of the Sky."
Link wasn't really paying attention past 'lost to time'. "I don't care about Goose, I don't care about Pigeon!" he screamed, salty tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "I just want everyone to know what I went through! What I had to endure! What I had to face because I lost everything, dammit!"
"Oh, Link," Ivan said comfortingly, shuffling closer to Link's face. "Not everything has changed. You know what's coming, and you can stop it. Ivan has faith in you. Zelda has faith in you. Everyone has faith in you, regardless of whether or not they know it."
Link sniffled, wiping the tears away from his eyes, only for them to be replaced by new ones. He couldn't stop them from pouring out, no matter what he did. It was like all the pent-up numbness had been drained from his body, leaving only the raw, powerful emotion lurking beneath.
He nearly gave up. He almost did. There was nothing left. Everything he had fought for, every ounce of effort he had poured into saving his world, was for naught. What was the point of anything anymore?
The echoes of Link's sobs filled the Fairy's Fountain for who knows how long, and he didn't even notice that his magical energies were being replenished.
The Hylian came to the decision that he had to get away from everything for a while. He figured he earned the right to shirk some responsibility, what with everything he had been through over the course of his missions.
"I… I need to go…" Link stammered, backing out of the Fountain before breaking into a run.
"Wait!" the fairy's voice echoed. Link paused, turning back to the woman with tears in his eyes.
"I feel bad for sending you off without anything," the Great Fairy explained. "So I've given you normal magic as well as the dark magic you already possess. You should see my sisters scattered across the land. One of them is behind the dead end at Hyrule Castle. And I can point you in the direction of some dark magic users, who can maybe teach you how to harness that dark energy of yours in your hand. There's one behind a waterfall somewhere, although I can't remember where… Anyway, if ever your travels leave you weary, please come back and see me."
Without another word, the Fairy descended back into her fountain, ushering a serene darkness into the room. Link couldn't stand it, so he turned and stepped back into the light, hunched over like he weighed a thousand tons more than he had when he had stepped into the Fountain.
"Hoot, hoot!" Kaepora Gaebora hooted, evidently having waited the entire time for Link to step out again. It was evening, and the lights of Kakariko Village were beginning to illuminate, so far down the mountain. "Well, it looks like you've grown up a little from the Great Fairy's power…"
Some power that was, Link thought.
"But you still don't really look like the hero who will save Hyrule. At least, not yet!"
Goddesses, could you shut up before you waste any more of my time? I don't feel like being insulted right now.
"If you are going back down the mountain, I can lend you a wing. Come here and grab my talons! And hold on tight! Hoot hoot!"
Link did as ordered, and soon the bird, child, and fairy were soaring on the cool dusk winds, back down to the warm stucco roofs of Kakariko Village. Hopping down from the roofs took minimal effort, and Link said hello to the cucco lady as he passed. He strolled into the House of the Skulltula, retrieved the Adult's Wallet, and then left as quickly as he came, leaving Kakariko Village at the stroke of eight o'clock. The sun had just dipped below the horizon, and several wolf howls could be heard echoing across the land.
He had to go back to Hyrule Castle to pick up Din's Fire, anyway. He could get a room at an inn or something, so long as he hid his hand.
!0*0!
Ivan had convinced Link to rest under a freshly slain Peahat. The Stalchildren stayed away from the flying creatures due to their sharp blades. The fairy was keeping watch, observing the vermillion horizon.
The Hylian, however, couldn't bring himself to slumber. He had taken to examining the razor-sharp edge of the Kokiri Sword and sharpening it even further with a nearby stone. Link couldn't find anything else to do save stare at the throbbing stars up above. Idly, he wondered if they had their own worlds, and someone else in a similar situation to his own. Then he scoffed at his naivete and rolled over, trying to find rest under the formerly living plant.
But he couldn't.
It made sense, really. He had just lost everything, after all. His entire world had just gone up in flames, and there was no chance of restoring it. The Hyrule he had sacrificed himself for had been stripped away, replaced by this abomination of a world. Link hated it. He loathed it all with a fiery passion, but the anger he felt was dwarfed by an overwhelming sense of sorrow.
What's the point? He asked himself, not expecting an answer. Why do I put myself through this? What's my end goal? Why do I even try anymore?
"Because nobody else is going to, leetle man," Ivan said. "And our objective is to give this world a chance at peace."
Was he talking out loud? Suddenly, Link was embarrassed.
"Go to sleep, leetle man" Ivan ordered. "Goddesses know you need it."
With that, the fairy set himself back down on the cold, wet grass and stared out into the darkness of the night. The moon was exactly overhead, and its chilling luminescence spilled over the fairy and the man.
Link adjusted his tunic, laid back as much as he could, and tried his best to fall asleep. The scabbard of his Kokiri Sword dug into the small of his back, but he couldn't care less. If he didn't know any better, Link would almost say he enjoyed it.
!0*0!
It was mid-morning when Link got to Castle Town. He beelined for the castle itself, ignoring the maelstrom of Hylian denizens mobbing the central square. They were all doing their part in preparing for Summer's Day. A few Gorons had shown up too, selling bombs, heat-resistant red tunics, and red potions.
Din's Eye beat down on the boy, soaking him with sweat. It was a cloudless day, and the sky was an annoyingly bright blue. It was all the more hilarious, then, when the guards took no notice of Link's presence, instead opting to stare off into the distance whimsically. They didn't even react to the large explosion set off by Link's bomb, which destroyed the large boulder protecting the entrance to the Fairy Fountain. Crouching on all fours, Link crawled into the small hole and stepped into the Fountain. Or at least he would have, if the Great Fairy's boundary magic didn't prevent him. Just like before, though, Ivan's coercion eventually allowed Link to enter.
It was almost identical to the Fairy Fountain on Death Mountain, excluding the fact that the fires were green here instead of red. His legs felt like lead as Link trudged forward, knowing that meeting the next Fairy was something he really didn't want to do. Ivan, at least, sensed his partner's discontentment and patted his shoulder affectionately.
Standing on the engraved Triforce, the Hero played that six-note song, bringing back biting memories of his Zelda's last goodbye. He fought off not only the urge to let salty tears fall down his face, but also the urge to stave off those tears with pain. It wasn't healthy, he told himself. It wasn't.
Right?
With a terrifying cackle, the Great Fairy launched herself into the air, only to recline herself on nothingness like it was some sort of couch. She was identical to the Mountain Fairy in every other way. Link despised it.
"Welcome, Link! I am a Great Fairy of Magic!" she boomed. Link felt particularly antsy, now that he wasn't blinded by the hope of bringing everyone back.
"I will give you a magic spell. Please take it," she continued, rotating in the air and channeling Light Energy. Soon, a large ball of burning crimson light appeared, hovering over Link before settling in his outstretched hands. The light dissipated, leaving a warm red orb encased in a transparent octahedron.
The Great Fairy began explaining the uses and effects of Din's Fire, but Link simply ignored it. Once her job was done, the Great Fairy regressed back into her fountain with a hair-curling laugh, leaving the room dark once more.
Link left as soon as the fairy disappeared. He couldn't bear the scenery any longer.
He left the way he came, going back into Hyrule Castle. It was high noon, and the central square had somehow become even more congested. Link had to avoid being crushed by people haggling over prices, carpenters carrying massive wooden beams, Gorons, some Cuccos, and much more. Eventually, Link fought his way towards the central fountain, desperate to find some breathing room.
Someone yelled his name from somewhere, and Link looked about, bewildered, until he noticed Malon and Talon standing not ten feet to his right. Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, he apologized for missing them.
"No worries!" the ranch owner assured, guffawing.
They spent some time chatting before Link realized that he should probably get going to Zora's Domain. He only had a week before Summer's Day, and he needed time to tell Zelda he had gotten them all and hide them.
"I should probably get going. Someone wants to meet me near Kakariko," Link explained sheepishly. He figured that the excuse would be enough to not alarm the ranchers, but still give him time to do his quest-
"Oh, I see. We were just going to deliver some milk to Kakariko, as a matter of fact," Talon said, scratching his moustache pensively. "Want to tag along?"
He knew he shouldn't. He knew that Malon and Talon's kindness would be the death of him. He knew that if he accepted, he'd never want to leave.
"Sure, why not," Link agreed.
"Bol'shoy!" Ivan exclaimed.
Before Link could process what was happening, Malon had grabbed him by his cap and practically dragged him out of Castle Town in the most undignified manner possible. Talon shook his head and walked after her, chortling all the way.
!0*0!
They had boarded a cart. The road to Kakariko was old and beaten down, but it went by just swell. Link casually chatted with Talon regarding the state of Hyrule. The portly man seemed oddly confused by the fact that Link was so interested in how the world was doing. But that was understandable. He had no clue that Link was a man in a child's body.
The country had been doing better as of late, but it was still in shambles from the Unification War a decade prior. The price of bread had skyrocketed in recent years, and everyone was feeling the economic pressure, especially those who lived in the area that was once Catalia, which had taken up a region south of Lake Hylia but fought against greater Hyrule in the war itself. The crash had affected the neighboring Labrynna and Holodrum, but to lesser degrees than that of Hyrule. Catalia's assimilation into the Hyrulean halidom had deeply wounded almost the entirety of the Goddesses' creation, but they were on the road to recovery.
"Something feels wrong here," Ivan said tensely, breaking the silence.
"What's up, Ivan?" Link inquired.
"Ivan is not sure," the fairy said. "Remain on your guard,"
Link drew his blade in anticipation, trusting Ivan's judgement. He didn't notice how the farmers tensed up at the slithering noise of the tiny blade sliding out of its scabbard. He at least had the common sense to not summon his shield just yet.
An arrow whizzed past Link's head before impaling itself in the cart's wall just inches from the Hero's nose. Standing suddenly, Link jerked his head around, trying to find the idiots shooting at him.
"Get down!" he yelled, old instincts taking over. To his relief, at least Talon knew what to do; he dove into the cart and pressed his body as low as it could go. To his chagrin, Malon stood in shock, her vibrant red hair poking up from inside the cart. It was about as obvious as a target on the Gerudo Horseback Archery Training Grounds, and she was just begging for an arrow to be loosed into her brain. Careful to not crush any milk bottles underneath his boots, Link ran over to the ranch girl and shoved her down into her father's arms, summoning his shield again as another volley nailed the cart. His dark magic took a large hit. The situation was untenable, and Link knew it.
He ran back to the horses in the front of the car and coaxed them into a gallop, lugging Talon and Malon along with them to Kakariko Village, where they'd hopefully be safer. Meanwhile, the Hero leapt out of the cart and finally located the perpetrators; Two Hylian men, perched on a hill and seated on black horses, raining arrows down from afar.
"O Bogini," Ivan growled. "Raiders. Leetle man shouldn't engage with-"
"Screw that," Link vetoed. "I've been itching for some action."
With that, the Hero of Time sprinted forwards, towards the bandits. The Hylians in question smirked, drew their swords, and galloped forwards to meet the child.
Drawing the Slingshot, Link shot one of the horses right between its eyes. It didn't stop, nor lose the slightest bit of speed, but the blow was enough to disorient it. Another blow caused the beast to meander a bit. In that little bit of time, the raiders had nearly halved the distance between themselves and Link.
Ivan screamed at him to run away. Link didn't care.
A third shot caused the two horses to crash into each other; they fell to the earth wounded but not dead. The two raiders riding them somehow managed to land safely on the ground about fifty feet in front of Link, blades gleaming in the obnoxiously bright sunlight. They said nothing; they just looked at Link like he was some sort of pariah.
They were probably looking at his left hand.
Careful to make no noticeable movement, the child edged his right hand towards his pouch and tugged out a packet of Deku Nuts. He even dispelled his shield, just to lull the raiders' suspicions.
Sure enough, one of them started shuffling forwards, guard up. The other had drawn a bow and was pointing it at Link, threatening to shoot if the boy so much as twitched.
"Okay, here's the plan," Link whispered. "As soon as the Sword Guy is really close, I want you to Mind Hack him. I'm going to throw a Deku Nut and make a run for that Bow Guy. Stall Sword Guy for as long as possible. Okay?"
There was a short silence. "Ivan thinks you're psikh, leetle man," he eventually whispered back, "but da."
Sword Guy was almost to the point where Link could smell his breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he could see Talon and Malon watching him from the cart. Just a little longer -
A crimson Ivan suddenly darted into Sword Guy's brain, freezing him in place. Link took the respite to throw a Deku Nut at the ground, making his surroundings erupt into a blinding flash. The flash had the desired effect on Bow Guy, as the raider threw his hands in front of his eyes to block the sudden light. Link was already moving, sprinting towards Bow Guy with every ounce of energy contained in his lithe young body.
By the time Link had gotten within sword range, Bow Guy had recovered from the Deku Nut and was nocking an arrow. Link summoned his shield to deflect the arrow, which it did at the cost of dark magic. It gave the Hero enough time to finally close the distance between himself and Bow Guy, and before the Raider could get another shot off, Link had slashed his dagger across Bow Guy's chest. It didn't hurt Bow Guy due to his heavy armor, but it was enough to daze him. Dazing him was all he needed, however, as Link swung his blade into Bow Guy's weapon, snapping the bowstring with the edge of his sword and rendering the bow useless.
Ivan returned as soon as Bow Guy drew his blade, Sword Guy in hot pursuit. The Raider in question was screaming obscenities at the top of his lungs. Ivan gave Link a glance that screamed "Never repeat anything you just heard".
Link wasn't paying attention, however; he was too busy immolating the raiders with Din's Fire. The great orb of flame summoned by the child was enough to stave off Sword Guy, but Bow Guy got it worse; the fabric in his armor caught fire, causing immense pain. Link didn't feel bad; Bow Guy had almost killed him and the farmers.
Speaking of Malon and Talon, the cart was still there, but the ranchers were nowhere in sight. They had probably gotten to Kakariko, Link reasoned.
Bow Guy was screaming his lungs out in torment as the flames lapped at his exposed skin. A part of Link wanted to just kill Bow Guy and be done with it, but he decided against it. Partially because he wanted the Raider to suffer, but mostly because Sword Guy was right behind him, about to strike-
A spearhead suddenly protruded from Sword Guy's midsection, just as his blade started to descend on Link. The bandit stopped cartoonishly, slowly glanced down at the bloody spear piercing his abdomen, looked back at Link again, and promptly fell to the floor, dead.
The Kakariko Guard relaxed, dislodging his bloody lance from the Raider's gut. "You okay, kid?"
Breathlessly, Link nodded. Ivan accentuated this.
The guard walked over to Bow Guy, who had thankfully stopped being on fire, and ran him through without pomp or ceremony.
"Damn raiders," the guard grunted. "They've been getting worse ever since the Unification War. You might just be Mister Hero after all! Hah ha!
"But don't get too cocky, kid. Raiders always travel in packs, and there's bound to be more. No matter how well you did, that last fellow was about to cleave you through. Count your blessings for your old man; if he hadn't alerted the Guard to their presence, you'd probably be dead."
The guard ruffled Link's hair lightly, laughed to himself again, and walked back towards Kakariko Village. Link stood there for a few seconds, uncomprehending, before realizing that the Guard had mistaken Talon for Link's father.
"Leetle man did well," Ivan congratulated. "Ivan is always forgetting how much experience you have."
"Fat load of good it did me," Link grumbled. "I almost got gutted like a fish."
"Nonsense. Ivan would have alerted you," Ivan countered. "Leetle man needs to be less gloomy. Come. Let's go talk to Malon."
Link's features brightened slightly. "Okay."
Ivan snickered. Link couldn't fathom why.
!0*0!
Kakariko Village was calm by day and eerily quiet at night, but in the evening it was best described by "peaceful". Just like at other times of the day, it wasn't nearly as noisy as Castle Town or even some of the lesser towns, but it had a certain aura of balance, accentuated by the sun setting over the hill, that ushered in an ambience of serenity.
At least he wouldn't have to go down to the Bottom of the Well or the Shadow Temple again.
Right?
Malon and Talon were standing there by the gate, idly talking to the front guard, before they noticed their Fairy Boy trudge up the stone steps to the tiny village. The farmers immediately ceased their conversation and ran over to the child.
"You're not dead, Fairy Boy!" Malon exclaimed, throwing herself into Link's body and hugging him tightly, thrusting her face into the crook of his neck. She held this position for about a second before backing off and slapping Link across the right cheek before backhand slapping him across the left.
"You're an idiot, Fairy Boy!" she then hollered, glaring at Link with daggers in her eyes. Ivan was laughing hysterically somewhere a few meters behind Link. The Hylian in question took a step back, arms held up in surrender.
He wasn't prepared, then, for the ranch girl to hug him again, adopting the exact same position as before. "Thank you, Fairy Boy."
"Uh…" Link responded dumbly. "My name isn't Fairy Boy… it's Link…"
Malon was silent for a second. "Thank you, Link," she said quietly, pulling back.
Was his face flushed? He hoped not. He did find Malon's boundless positivity infectious…
"Alright, alright, enough of that," Talon finally interrupted, chuckling. "You're going to scare him off if you keep this up."
"Daddy, stop!" his daughter complained.
Ivan, meanwhile, had recovered from his laughing fit and darted back under Link's hat.
"And my boy," the ranch owner said, sauntering up to Link and throwing his heavy arm around the child. "I would also like to give you my thanks for fighting off those raiders. There aren't very many magic users left after the Unification War, and call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure summoning a shield and an inferno counts as magic. The very least I could do is offer you a night at the Ranch sometime. Sound good?"
Link grinned slightly. "I think I'd like that. But not right now. I have to meet with someone. Maybe in a few days, okay?"
The rancher grinned. "We'll be expecting you."
Expecting you. Nobody expected him, even when he expected them. For once, he could live with being expected.
Remember when I said "Let's hope it continues" back at the beginning of the chapter? I really meant "Let's take that away from him, shall we?"
In other news, I'm changing the upload time from Friday mornings (7:00 AM EST) to Thursday nights (8:00 PM EST). It's just more convenient for me.
So yeah, that was chapter 5. Chapter 6 will be MQ Jabu Jabu, and that's going to be so much fun to write. Really, you all have no idea.
NOOTTD:
1. The Great Fairies don't remember the events of Link's first adventure. They think he's talking about being the Link from Skyward Sword and stuff, hence Groose and Pipit.
2. The Raiders are an original creation. It seems logical; it's a medieval world, and there was just a war. That makes sense, right?
Like it? Hate it? Want to raid me? Leave a review!