A/N: Twilight Princess Link and Ocarina of Time Link are gonna become good friends (eventually), so they're gonna make lots of jokes to lighten their mood. But most times, they'll be serious, so don't worry. It's only at certain points I can't resist writing silliness! XD As usual, I do not own the Legend of Zelda or Nintendo.
Twilight Princess Link's perspective.
Chapter Six
A Very Confused Sheikah
Link was closer to the Hero of Time than the other Hero and his fairy companion knew. The reason for Link's silence was caused by the fact that he was talking, and it would be rude for him to turn around and yell, "I'm here! Quit shouting!"
He really hadn't traveled far. When the Hero of Time had walked into the right path, Link had walked left. Let the other Hylian go the right direction; Link had his own ideas. He wanted to explore this strange place that reminded him so much of the Sacred Grove. If he got lost, all he would need to do is transform into a wolf and sniff his way back to his friend by identifying the other Hero's scent.
From what Link had seen of this place, he found it vast and interesting. He had entered the blackness and found himself in a large area with a high, unclimbable barrier. Light barely peeked through the tree branches. Another hollow fallen log was off to the far left wall. There was nothing before him except for two tree stumps. One was much larger than the other, also too high to climb. The other was further away and he could easily stand on it. He had walked forward and noticed a very skinny man sleeping in front of the trees.
It had taken him no more than ten seconds to remember his blue feathered friend, Cojiro. The Cucco had been crowing because he could sense his master. Why Link hadn't figured that out right away made him feel stupid, but he shook off his negative emotions, brought the Cucco out of his inventory, and held it in front of the scrawny man.
The man was obviously Hylian. He had long ears, but his skin was pale and he was shirtless. His bones were sticking out like he hadn't eaten for a while. He wore yellowish pants and black shoes.
And he was also in distress…just like everyone else in past-day Hyrule.
The moment Link had brought out the Cucco, the man had awoken and extended his arms, which were trembling. He was so surprised, and he looked emotionally hurt from seeing the blue Cucco in someone else's care.
"Cojiro?" the scrawny man asked. "Why? Normally only a nice guy like me can tame you…"
Link hadn't received an opportunity to reply. The man kept talking.
"Which means… You… You must be a nice guy! Must be! You must be!"
Link wanted to take a step back, but this man obviously had no intention of harming him, so he held his ground. He needed to help this stranger…somehow. If the man requested something of him, he would oblige.
"Please Mr. Nice Guy! Please!"
And there's the request, Link thought, waiting patiently.
"Deliver this stuff to the old hag in the potion shop in Kakariko Village! This will disappear if you take too long, so you gotta hurry!"
Link considered it. If it were an item like Cojiro, he could simply carry it along and go to the potion shop whenever he revisited Kakariko. This way, he could continue his quest without much interference. However, now he actually had to head straight to the Village and wasn't permitted to take any detours.
"Link!" he heard the Hero of Time call for what seemed the twelfth time. Navi yelled the Hero of Twilight's name as well, but he did not allow himself to reply. He wasn't permitted to.
Well, if the other Hylian Hero was heading to the Forest Temple, it would be alright for him to catch up and reunite with him later. There wouldn't be much trouble caused by assisting this poor man…would there?
"I accept," Link said, holding out his hand. The man placed something in it, which he took and examined.
I got an Odd Mushroom! Link thought. A fresh mushroom like this is sure to spoil quickly! I need to take it to the Kakariko Potion Shop, immediately!
Link spun around and dashed back the way he had come from. He stopped before he exited the forest. He noted that Navi and the Hero of Time were no longer calling after him. Strange. He didn't have time to hunt them down and tell them where he was going, so he shouted, "I'M GOING TO KAKARIKO! I'LL COME BACK IN A BIT!"
He dashed into the Kokiri Village and stopped. He maybe had thirty minutes to get to Kakariko. He could never make that on foot…and if he did, he probably would have only seconds to spare. He needed a faster method of transportation. A method he hadn't bothered trying in past-day Hyrule.
"Midna," Link called.
"What is it, Link?" Midna rose out of Link's shadow, waiting expectantly.
"Transform into wolf."
Midna grinned evilly. Black squares floated into the air and an object materialized in her hand. She pressed it into Link's palm. The Hero of Twilight grunted and sank to his knees. His body turned solid black and began to subtly change. The main differences in his appearance were that his hands became thicker and shorter; something grew off his paw; and his tailbone was now visible. Black squares broke off his body, revealing his now-bestial form. He growled and stood up, shaking himself, his fur coat gleaming.
He had transformed into a wolf for the first time in past-day Hyrule.
Midna appeared above him and landed on his back, causing him to cough and glare back at her, growling softly. She grinned at this and nudged him in the sides.
Link sprinted forward and leapt off the large hill, heading for the exit of the Kokiri Village. He bypassed the bushy monsters he didn't know the name of, as well as the Deku Babas. One tried to eat him, but he sidestepped and dashed out the hollow fallen tree. He found himself back in Hyrule Field.
Link thundered through the fields and skidded to a halt beside the stone bridge, which he leapt onto and continued running. As he neared the stairs to get into Kakariko, he looked up at Midna.
Midna stared down at him. "What is it, Link?"
"Transform into human," he replied, his words no more than simple growls. He had almost completely gotten used to his wolf voice, but it was still strange to him. He found it odd when considered that what used to be Hylian was now Wolf…and that Midna understood Wolf.
Link stopped his consideration when he felt a strange sensation in his body before he turned solid black and squares broke off of him. He got to his feet, now human, and entered Kakariko. He was feeling fortunate to have explored this place earlier and learn where the potion shop was, or he would have had to search all over for it.
He ascended two sets of stairs and walked into the building on the right. It had simple wooden floor inside, as well as a light hanging from the ceiling. A man with shoulder-length brown hair and a green shirt waited behind the counter. Shelves were behind him, bearing various wares that could be encased in a bottle. Link didn't need any of those things, so he dashed to the left side of the counter and exited out the back door.
He ended up outside standing on another set of stairs. A perfectly round hole was in the center of the ground below him. More stairs led him to a building. He ran up them, realizing that he had more minutes remaining than he had given himself credit for. Grinning, Link ripped open the door and walked inside.
His smile faded. He was in a dark room. Red carpet led him to a counter, but the rest of the floor was wood. Thick tubes big enough for him to fit in rested along the wall, mysterious liquid swirling up them. The light above him was incredibly dim, and his vision was almost reduced to nothing. He wanted to draw out his lantern, but he wasn't sure if it would spoil his mushroom.
Behind the counter was a strange woman that Link forced himself to approach. The lady wore a red shirt. Her dark hair was stringy, and her eyes were black due to the light. She held something strange in her hands. She looked up at Link as he approached.
This was obviously the "old hag" that the scrawny man was talking about. Link didn't want to be here with her longer than he had to, so he reached into his pocket and handed her the mushroom.
The lady was surprised. After a moment, she scowled and said, "That bum! He had to go into the forest…" She stopped herself and changed her tone. "…..I see."
Link gave her a confused expression, not sure what she was talking about.
"Hey, give it to me now!" she commanded.
Link flinched and slowly handed the mushroom over to her. His voice was almost inaudible as he said, "Alright…"
The woman took the mushroom. The light around her vanished, and the room turned black. Link feared the worst, but the world around him began to brighten. The woman was still glaring at him, but she hadn't attacked him or anything. He was still safe…if it was possible to be safe in that place.
"If you see that fool, give this to him. It is the strongest medicine I have ever produced. However, this potion will not work on a monster…"
Monster? Link wondered.
The woman forced the thing into his hands. It looked like a glob of red goop on a brown piece of paper. Link grudgingly accepted it and studied it carefully.
I received an Odd Potion! I don't know what's going on between this lady and that guy, but I need to take this to the Lost Woods!
"They say there is no medicine to cure a fool…" the lady said, a look of mournfulness on her face. "I guess that's true…"
Link backed up before turning and running out the door. Fortunately, the medicine didn't look like it was going to expire any time soon, so he could meander his way back to the Forest without having to run back to the lady.
Even so, he wanted to return to the Forest as soon as he could. He needed to reunite with the Hero of Time. Also, that man required this medicine for reasons unknown. Link wanted to give it to him as fast as possible. He exited Kakariko.
"Midna," he said.
"What is it, Link?"
"Transform into wolf." Link sank to his knees and turned black. The squares of Twilight broke off his body and left him as a beast. Midna landed on his back, and he dashed forward, heading back to the Forest.
He was surprised when he entered it again. He walked inside and became human once more. He turned left into the fallen log in order to find the man, but he didn't see him.
Instead, a Kokiri girl waited for him. A fairy fluttered around her head. She grinned at his approach. Link would have been fine with that normally, but it sent shivers up his spine now.
"Where is…?" he began.
"That guy isn't here anymore," the girl told him.
Link was stunned. The guy certainly would have waited for him. Why would he leave now?
"Why?" he asked.
"Anybody who comes into the forest will be lost," she replied.
Anybody? Link wondered. Wasn't he the proof that that statement was false?
"Everybody will become a Stalfos. Everybody, Stalfos. So, he's not here anymore."
"A…Stalfos?" Link wondered aloud. He hadn't expected that. Why hadn't the Hero of Time mentioned that? It was definitely important information that he needed to know. Or had the other Hylian not known that information himself?
Link shook off his surprise and said, "But I had to give something to him. This." He reached into his inventory and brought out the Odd Potion, holding it out for her to see.
The girl repeated her words exactly to him. Only her last sentences were different; "Everybody will become a Stalfos. Everybody, Stalfos. So, he's not here anymore. Only his saw is left. Hee, hee."
Link studied her, waiting.
"That medicine is made of forest mushrooms. Give it back!"
"May I please have his saw in exchange?" Link asked, giving her the medicine. He felt bad for not assisting the scrawny man, but there was no way he could relocate him. He didn't have time to. He needed to complete his quest. If he encountered that person again, he would be sure to apologize.
The girl took the medicine and handed Link a strange-looking blade. It had a simple wooden stick for a handle, but the blade jutted out farther on the sides, jagged. Link accepted the blade, considering it.
I returned the Odd Potion and got the Poacher's Saw in exchange! According to the girl, the young punk guy must have left it behind.
As he was still holding the saw, Link heard the girl say, "Heh, heh, heh. Are you going to be…too? Heh, heh!"
Link slipped the saw into his pouch and backed away from the girl. Did she want him to transform into a monster? Also, if everyone who entered these woods and became lost, why wasn't she even remotely concerned about herself?
Link noticed the fairy glittering around her before realization dawned on him. The Kokiri lived in these woods for a reason: everyone else besides them would get lost and never be able to leave. It was the perfect defense mechanism. Unless travelers had a fairy, they would become Stalfos. Simple healing fairies didn't count either; wanderers needed to have a guiding fairy.
So maybe even Kokiri could get lost in these woods. Was that what the creature Link was seeing now on top of the stump was? Why hadn't he seen that thing earlier? Had it even been there all along?
Link turned away from the girl and her strange company and walked out through the fallen log he had come from. He shuddered and stopped. "Midna," he called softly.
"What is it, Link?" Midna appeared out of his shadow. Even her face displayed concern. She waited for him to state his request.
"Transform into wolf."
"Tell me…do you even have anything to track him down with? Any sort of item you can use to identify his scent from all these other ones?"
Link hesitated. He wanted to kick himself. Why hadn't he considered that earlier?
"Well, if Link grew up in this town, why don't you try searching for his house? Who knows? Maybe seven years won't do much to his smell. It's our only option…"
Link sighed and exited the forest. He leapt over a fence and dropped to the ground, looking around. Hadn't there been a building the Hero of Time had ignored? Yes…a raised house similar to Link's own. Perhaps the reason for his negligence had been caused by his knowledge that no one lived there.
Link walked over to the house and scaled the ladder. He entered the building and looked around, surprised to see how empty it was. Even his own home, which he rarely visited these days, was filled with more junk than this place.
There was a sign tacked to the wall in front of him. A window sat directly behind the white bed beside the sign. A few unbreakable pots decorated the wall. Another random object was to his left, but he didn't much care to examine it. The bed was his best bet.
Link requested to become a wolf again, and Midna obliged. He approached the bed and sniffed it. He lifted his noise to the air, asking himself a question.
Do I want to forget the Reekfish Scent and learn a new smell? Link hesitated. Yes…yes, I definitely do. He took a deep breath, absorbing the scent. I learned the Scent of Link!
As all scents had colors, Link supposed he shouldn't have been surprised when the scent turned out to be green. Even so, it made him snort a wolf laugh as he looked outside and saw the color hovering outside. Link dashed out and leapt down the stairs.
That was when he hit his first problem.
Link shook his head, surprised. His friend's scent was literally everywhere! It was on the sides of buildings, bushes, fences, rocks, grass, and even above the water. Green flooded his vision, forcing him to shut his eyes and shake his head again. He tried not to concentrate on what he smelled, causing the scents around him to disappear. He heaved a sigh of relief, walking from memory over to the ivy behind the house with the rocks out front.
Link became a human again and climbed up, before Midna returned him to his wolf body. He dashed into the forest and focused on the smell of his friend. To his surprise, the scent he was finding wasn't fresh. It was seven years old, and somehow hadn't faded. If anything, the forest had preserved it permanently. Why he wasn't able to track the Hero of Time from his current scent, Link wasn't sure. Even so, he didn't mind. He needed to follow the smell.
He walked to the left, where he had found that girl, before quickly changing his mind and walking to the right path instead. He wasn't going back to that girl unless he had to. Besides, the Hero of Time hadn't passed him earlier, so that path couldn't be the way.
Link jumped over the railing before him and wandered into the tall grass, still following the green scent. It was very confusing; it led around in circles, as if the young Hero of Time had decided to go exploring. It was an inconvenience to Link, but he would have to tolerate it. He walked over to the log, staring at two figures playing flutes. They examined him, still playing their flutes.
Link crawled onto the stump and listened to their melody. He threw his head into the air and began to howl their notes back to them. They studied him curiously.
"We do not sing," said the one on the left.
"Why do you howl?" asked the one on the right.
Link cocked his head to the side. He took a surprised step back and fell off his stump as the creatures leapt back and vanished into the shadows. Link turned and faced the ladder.
"Midna…"
Midna appeared out of his shadow and transformed him into a human at his request. He climbed up the ladder and then called out to her again. She turned him back into a wolf, and he ran into the next hollow log.
The scent led to the right, so Link disregarded the other paths and followed it. He found himself at a two way intersection. Right in front of him was a pool of water with a smooth stone jutting out of it. No doubt, it led somewhere good, but Link didn't have time to explore it. Two fallen logs were to his left and right. Someone stood before the one to his left, and the scent trail led there. Link went to approach it, but he was stopped by the person.
It was a young boy wearing the typical green garb of the Kokiri. However, he had pants, green boots, and a sleeveless top with a white sleeveless shirt beneath, and his hat was pointed up: a fashion Link found he was pleased he didn't have. He preferred the windsock look, oddly enough. The boy had dirty blonde hair that barely peeked out from the front of his hat. Instead, it fluffed out in the back. His cheeks had strange freckles on them. His eyes were big and blue, and he had a scowling face.
He stepped in Link's path and wielded a stick threateningly. He glared at the black wolf and said, "Get back, Wolfos!"
Link stopped and gave the boy a confused stare. The last time he had challenged another person who was normally good, he had earned a good swipe to the ribs by a sword. He didn't want to repeat that, even if this boy was only wielding a stick. However, he really needed to get past this child.
Link backed up and let out a soft whine. Please? he seemed to say.
"Shoo!" the boy said, swinging the long stick. Link shot back and cocked his head. How could he trick this kid into leaving? Maybe he needed to verbally persuade him…
He turned around and transformed into a human before returning.
"What are you?" the boy asked. "Though you wear Kokirish clothing, you can't fool me! I promised Saria I wouldn't let anybody go through here!"
Link hesitated. He still couldn't get in? Why? He sighed. There had to be some way…
"Or…are you with that other man who came here earlier?"
Link immediately nodded. "That's my friend. We agreed to go through here together, but we got separated because of a…distraction. I ended up running back to get something, and he was gone when I returned. May I please pass through here?"
"How do I know you're not just agreeing with me?"
"My friend is followed by a fairy, despite the fact that he doesn't look like you people anymore. He wields a blueish-purple sword and a Hylian Shield. His outfit is similar to mine."
The boy considered it. "So you do know the person I'm referring to…but what proof do you have that you're friends?"
Link ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He couldn't prove that…not yet at least. After a moment, he said, "I really have no evidence. But…we agreed to save Saria. We're heading for the same destination: the Sacred Forest Meadow."
The boy glared at Link. "You can't pass through here until proving that you're either friends with that man or with Saria."
I'll be here for the rest of my life! Link thought.
A strange melody floated through the air. It started off low in pitch, then became slightly higher, before becoming even higher. It repeated twice: a noise Link vaguely remembered hearing whistle through the trees in the Sacred Grove.
Thoughtlessly, he picked up a blade of grass and whistled the noise.
"That melody?!" the boy exclaimed. "Saria plays that song all the time! You… Do you know Saria?"
Not really, Link thought, but he didn't say anything. He hadn't expected that to happen, but he was grateful it had.
"That song…" the boy mused. "Saria taught that song only to her friends… Okay… I trust you."
I wouldn't, Link thought. I'm the most suspicious person here. Saria really needs better guards.
"When I saw your friend…I don't know why, but I remember…him…" the boy said quietly under his breath.
Link watched him walk out of the way, and he entered the cleared path.
"Midna," he said.
"You really need this a lot, don't you?"
Link turned black and transformed into a wolf. Midna landed on top of him and grinned.
"Man, that kid sure was trusting, huh?" she said.
Link snorted and walked forward, concentrating on the scent. He entered the path in front of him before turning left and then right. He found himself standing in an open area. He no longer felt boxed in, which was very pleasant. He heard a noise like a cry of pain, which quickly killed his serenity. He looked on both sides of him, listening carefully to see if he could hear the noise again.
No, but he heard the noise of someone hitting the ground with a thud. He dashed forward, ignoring the tall bushes he was plodding through. He entered a split in the wall and ran right, still following the scent of the young Hero of Time.
He found himself faced by a wall, so he turned left. He was forced to take another left and run down a long path. Link noticed several sections of wall missing, covered by tall grass. He disregarded them and turned right.
He followed that path to a pool of water, which he jumped into and paddled across. He found himself with three choices: transform into a human and climb the ladder on his left, run down to the end of the path, or turn right and see what possibly lay in the tall grass.
Link chose the right path due to the noise of a monster crying out in pain.
"That's what you get for whacking Link twelve times with that stupid club, you ugly brute!" a female voice that could only belong to Navi called triumphantly.
Link immediately transformed into a human and walked through the grass, heading for his companions. He spotted them loitering around in front of a bunch of rupees. The Hero of Time wore a tired expression. His body was trembling from exhaustion, but he dragged himself over to the money and picked it up, stuffing it in his wallet. His clothes were in tatters and stained crimson. However, they were quickly mending. His blood was also fading from them, but he was still hurt. To make things worse for him, Navi was bouncing around his head.
Link chuckled. "You look terrible," he called, walking over.
The Hero of Time looked up at him, his eyes half-open. After a few seconds of silence, he took on a bewildered expression and demanded, "How did you get here?!"
"I walked," Link replied. Navi fluttered over to him and began rapidly bouncing up and down, causing him to take a step back.
"You walked?!" she asked. "But…how did you not get lost?! You should still be wandering in those woods, lost! A Stalfos!"
"So I heard," Link replied.
"Then why did you wander off?! You should have become a Stalfos! There's no way you could have found your way out!"
The Hero of Time nodded his agreement.
Link gave them an annoyed look. "Such faith you have in me…" he muttered.
Navi fluttered back over to the Hero of Time's shoulder. She landed on it and said, "Those who wander into those woods without a fairy become Stalfos! You should have too!"
"I'm supposed to be a Hero…chosen by the goddesses and the Master Sword. Getting my life snuffed out by some woods seems a little less than heroic," Link replied. He nodded at the blood on the Hero of Time's face. "Have a party?" he asked.
"Yes," the Hero of Time replied, wiping away the crimson. "And you missed it."
"Was it fun?"
"Well, only if your definition of fun is getting impaled by a bunch of pig-monsters Navi tells me are called Moblins. I think they wanted me to look like my Ocarina: blue and full of holes."
"Well, at least you're alive," Link replied.
"For now," the Hero of Time said. "Out of nine hearts, I have four. And I'm out of milk…"
Link sighed. "Do you have an empty bottle? Hand it over."
The Hero of Time grudgingly handed over his precious bottle to Link.
"To apologize for my absence, have this," Link said, reaching into his own pouch and bringing out a red potion. He had meant to fill the bottle with a fairy anyway, but he hadn't needed the potion so he never used it. He poured the red liquid into his companion's empty bottle. He corked his own and put it away before returning the Hero of Time's bottle to him.
"Red potion?"
"I don't need it. I have chainmail."
The Hero of Time put away his now-full bottle and turned to walk up the next flight of stairs. "Thanks," he said. "I guess we need to get going. You can tell me where you disappeared off to later."
Link laughed nervously and followed his Hylian companion up the stairs. They were barely wide enough for the two to walk side by side, so they were forced to ascend them single-file.
As they walked up, Link noticed the scenery barely peeking into his view. If he squinted, he could see a tree in front of a temple, with some stairs leading up to them. However, when he neared the top, he saw that the stairs were destroyed. To his left was a strange stone that reminded him of the ones he used to howl at when he was a wolf. He would have to sing for it later.
There was nothing to Link's right, but directly in front of him was a slightly raised hexagon stage with a Triforce designed into it. A wind pattern was in the middle of the center piece.
Tall walls rose up all around, obviously part of the temple. A tree stump sat right beside the crumbled stairs. Link felt as if he was looking at the Temple of Time, only to shake those thoughts out of his head. This wasn't it. It was the Forest Temple.
He watched the Hero of Time run over to the stump, stopping right in front of it. He wore the same hopeless expression he had when he first learned that the Kokiri didn't remember him. He gently rested his hand on the stump and muttered softly, "Saria…"
Link began to walk forward but stopped in his tracks as a figure dropped into view ten feet from the Hero of Time. He wore a blue skin-tight outfit with a white front bearing a crying red eye symbol.
The Hero of Time flinched and turned to face the figure.
Sheik walked forward, a mournful expression on his face…or what could be seen of it anyway. "The flow of time is always cruel…" he started. He glanced to his right before doing a double-take at the waiting Hero of Twilight. He rapidly looked between the two Hylian Heroes and pointed at both of them. "Which…? Who…? How…?!"
Link walked over to the Hero of Time and held out his hand to greet the confused Sheikah. "Hello, my name is Link. Pleasure to encounter you again, Sheik."
The Hero of Time noticed his companion and also held out his hand to Sheik. "Greetings, Sheik. I am also Link. Which one of us were you meaning to speak with?"
Sheik touched his hand to his head and stepped back. "I…the…Hero of Time?"
"Well, that would be both of us because we both wield the Master Sword," the Hero of Time said.
Link backed up and put his hand behind the other Hero. "That title belongs to you, my friend," he said. "I am known as someone else."
"Ah…" Sheik said, but he was still obviously astounded. He tried to correct himself and continue his speech, but he was still struggling for words. He composed himself and looked into the Hero of Time's eyes, deciding that it would be better for him to ignore the other Link and start over. "The flow of time is always cruel… Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it."
Link nodded and pulled out a blank piece of paper. He could play the game of ignorance, too. He sat down and began to write down the Sheikah's words on the page, as well as draw a map of the forest from his memory.
"A…thing that doesn't change with time…" Sheik tried to keep himself from watching the distracting Hero of Twilight sitting on the ground. He forced himself to not break his line of sight with the Hero of Time. "…is a memory of younger days."
"'Memory of younger days'," Link softly repeated as he wrote that on his map. He looked up at the Sheikah, who was glowering at him. "Sorry," he said, "but I thought your inspirational and accurate words needed to be recorded for all time. Perhaps a scholar could review them and critique you?"
Sheik heaved a sigh and continued his words. "In order to come back here again, play the Minuet of Forest." From his back pocket, he drew a golden harp. He began strumming it. The first note was deeper in pitch than the rest. The second was slightly lighter, followed by the third which was a little deeper. The next note was deeper, and then the final two were repeats of their immediate predecessors.
Link looked up in time to see the Hero of Time pull a blue Ocarina from nowhere and begin to play it. He mimicked the notes as much as he possibly could on a different instrument, but he got it right on his very first try. Link quickly turned back to his paper and scrawled the notes in. He turned back to watch the two play their song together.
Once again, he started to feel useless. What had he done here? Was he even necessary? The Hero of Time was the one Sheik was here for. He had even cleared the dangers of the forest without anyone's help but Navi's. Link shook his negative emotions off and stood up, brushing himself off.
The Hero of Time and Sheik ceased their duet. Sheik stared at the other Hero and said, "Link…" He glanced at the Hero of Twilight warily before turning back to the Hero of Time. "I'll see you again…" He stepped back and reached to the air, hands clenched into fists.
The Hero of Time shielded his eyes, but Link didn't. Instead, he witnessed the blinding flash that happened when the Sheikah threw something on the ground. His vision turned white and he saw nothing but snow. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, trying to see the world. After a few moments of agonizing white, he began to see again. He noted that Sheik was gone, so he looked around before turning back to the Hero of Time.
"I don't think I've ever seen Sheik so stunned," he said.
The Hero of Time chuckled. "He was shocked when he met me, as if…" He trailed off. He glared at Link and said, "…as if he had already spoken his words and wasn't expecting to have to repeat them."
Link chuckled. "I suppose I beat you to the Temple of Time."
"I'd been waiting there for seven years, so who's the real winner here?"
"Me. I beat you to Sheik and I didn't even have the extreme waiting time."
The Hero of Time snorted and was about to walk to the pillar before Link stopped him. "By the way, what was that instrument you were playing?" he asked.
"The Ocarina of Time?" the Hero of Time inquired, bringing it back out of his inventory.
Link studied it. "I don't suppose you have two of those…?"
The Hero of Time laughed. "No. This is a treasure passed down to members of the Royal Family. Princess Zelda gave this to me so I could access the Temple of Time."
"I see…" Link muttered.
"Why do you ask?" The Hero of Time nudged his friend. "Don't tell me you want to learn to play an Ocarina as well…"
"Perhaps. But I suppose the request was foolish." Link began to walk forward, only to be stopped himself. He looked back at the Hero of Time, who was resting his right hand on Link's shoulder. His other hand was holding a cream-colored Ocarina.
"I am required to possess the Ocarina of Time…but you can use my spare. However, this was given to me by someone very important to me, so after our adventure together is complete, I want this back!" He placed it in Link's hands.
Link examined it. It was fairly simple: just a cream-colored Ocarina. However, it must have contained some extreme sentimental value for the Hero of Time to hang onto it despite already having a replacement.
I've borrowed Link's Ocarina. Once our quest is complete, I'll need to return this to him, Link thought. He put it to his lips and began to play a melody he knew by heart. It started off high before the next two notes lowered. He repeated the noise, playing six notes.
The Hero of Time laughed. "Hey," he started, "that's Epona's Song! How did you know that?"
Link stared back at him, confused. Epona exists in past-day Hyrule as well?
"Hey!" Navi urged. "You can save your discussions for later! Saria needs you two, remember? Come on!" She floated up to the tree growing on top of the stairs.
"Coming," the Hero of Time muttered, bringing the Hookshot out of his inventory and holding it out. He fired at the tree, and the hook stabbed into the wood. Instantly, he was pulled up and onto the stairs. He turned to Link, who was still on the ground, surprised. "Are you coming too?"
Link walked forward and studied the tree. "Go on ahead. It'll take me a second to get up there."
"Don't want to borrow my Hookshot?"
"I'm already borrowing your Ocarina! If I die in there, I don't want to owe you everything!"
The Hero of Time chuckled. He walked into the temple, swallowed by the darkness clouding its entrance.
Link growled his frustration. "Think you can get me up there, Midna?" he asked. He received his answer when his body turned black and he was brought to his knees. Black squares broke off of him, and Midna zipped up to the top of the stairs. She displayed her hair-hand and beckoned Link forward with it. She giggled.
Link tensed his shoulders and kicked off the ground, targeting his impish friend. He landed where she had stood and called to her again. She transformed him back into a human and he adjusted his clothes slightly. He walked into the darkness before him, satisfied that he wouldn't be stopped by the obstacles of past-day Hyrule. He was engulfed by the shadows, but he wasn't afraid.
The light cleared, revealing that he was in a room with the Hero of Time. There were trees on both sides, growing as high as the ceiling would let them. Strangely, the tops of them were cut, as were their branches. Before them was a door with a stone entryway. The walls were made of cobblestone, and the ground was simply short grass. Ivy grew anywhere it could hook into, but it was most prominent on the right side, forming a climbable surface up to the trees.
The Hero of Time had turned at the approach of his friend. He said nothing, but instead directed his attention back to what lay before them.
At long last, they had entered the Forest Temple.
. . . . .
A/N: I know it's called a lyre because harps are huge, but the Zelda universe calls it a harp so...it's a harp. Also, I like Twilight Princess Link's major contribution of usefulness to the quest...distracting Sheik! XD Don't worry though, TP Link will prove his utmost importance in dungeons. After all, he does have a very large and diverse arsenal of weapons...
