A/N: I've been wanting to post this chapter ever since my delightful reviews from kaitlynowens and ThanosAC because those two ideas are like perfection and I want to write them for you two. But I didn't have this chapter written at the time, and when I went to write it, it was terrible! So I switched the perspective of the chapter from TP Link to OoT Link. I had originally typed it up from TP Link's perspective. But now it's not...as you can see below. As usual, I do not own the Legend of Zelda or Nintendo.

Ocarina of Time Link's Perspective.

Chapter Twelve

Prelude of Light

The Temple of Time was empty. Its marble floor gleamed in the dying light of the sun, a faint red gracing the polished ivory and obsidian. The Spiritual Stones glittered spectacularly before the open Door of Time. Above them, the Golden Triforce dominated the wall.

Link's footsteps echoed through the building, his boots making distinctive clicking noises on the tiles. If there had been anyone around, they would have definitely been alerted to his presence.

But he was alone. His only company was Navi. He hadn't seen the Hero of Twilight when he first walked in, nor did he spot him in the adjacent room containing the Pedestal of Time. Regardless of the evidence pointing to the fact his friend hadn't walked in, Link still felt hopeful. He entered the room, scanning it.

"Link?" Link called tentatively.

The only response he received was the echo of his own voice, booming off the walls like thunder.

"You're loud," Navi muttered, her own voice repeating as it bounced off the bricks.

"I guess he's not here," Link said, turning in a circle just to be sure the Hero of Twilight wasn't hiding in one of his blind spots.

He was still alone.

"It's kind of interesting that our whole adventure began because of this Pedestal," Navi said, fluttering over to the empty dais. "We missed seven yeas…and it feels like it's only been a week."

Link followed Navi over to the Pedestal. The Hero of Twilight was probably at Kakariko Village. If worst came to worst, he was trapped at the ranch. Either way, it wouldn't be too difficult to locate him again. All Link would have to do is ask around if people had seen his companion. If no one had, he would simply return to the ranch and rescue the Hero of Twilight. He had some time to reminisce…and regret his decisions.

"I…wish it were possible to take it back…to tell Zelda that this is going to happen to Hyrule, and petition her father to kick Ganondorf out of here…chase him into some faraway land and banish him to a netherworld," Link said. He drew the Master Sword, staring disdainfully at the blade as it cast a light grey shine on the floor. "I want to go back to the day I was a child, and tell Saria that I'm sorry for everything."

"Of all the things in Hyrule," Navi began, "your friends are the only people who remained the same."

"And that's what hurts the most."

It took only a second. One blink, and Link was no longer alone.

Sheik stood before him. Bandaged hair and fingers, masked mouth, blonde hair, red eye: nothing had changed about his appearance. He still hadn't gained proper shoes, but that was probably due to the need for him to sneak around soundlessly.

"You destroyed the wicked creatures that haunted the temple and awakened the Sage…" Sheik began.

"You're late…" Navi muttered.

"But there are still other Sages who need your help," Sheik said, disregarding Navi's comment. Link noticed him quickly glance at what was behind the Hero of Time, his red eye widening. His shock quickly wore off and he tried to regain his indifferent expression.

Link also risked a glimpse at what was approaching, only to see the Hero of Twilight walk wordlessly into the Temple of Time. His expression was calm, yet he also seemed mildly irritated. Perhaps he was trying to suppress his negativity; Link wasn't sure.

"In order to awaken all the other Sages," Sheik continued, causing Link to turn back to him, "you must become even more powerful. You must travel over mountains…"

The Hero of Twilight entered the room.

"…under water…"

The Hero of Twilight walked over and stood beside Link, his expression stony.

"…and even through time…" Sheik finished.

Link felt hope build within him. Even through time? he asked himself. I can…I can travel through time? How far?

"If you want to return to your original time, return the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time."

My original time? I can…

"By doing this, you will travel back in time seven years…." Sheik proceeded.

I can be a kid again? See my friends…as we should be?

Beside Link, the Hero of Twilight seemed to be struggling with that, but he didn't protest.

"The time will come when you will have to return here quickly…" Sheik announced. "I will teach this to you for when that time comes…"

"Teach me what?" Link asked, before it dawned on him.

He knew what Sheik was going to say even before the words even came out of the Sheikah's mouth: "The song to return you to the Temple of Time," he said patiently. "The Prelude of Light…" Sheik reached into his back pocket and drew his golden harp.

"Where do you even keep that?" Navi helpfully asked.

Sheik said nothing. As Link reached into his back belt pocket and pulled out the Ocarina of Time, the Sheikah began stringing his instrument.

The melody started off light in pitch, then became deeper, then repeated the first two notes before deepening still, then became just as high, or maybe higher, than the first note. Sheik played the melody to them twice, making sure they understood the sound.

Link began to copy the melody, only to hear the Hero of Twilight play it in a different pitch, at a different speed. The noise echoed loudly off the walls, powerful and projected…like a wolf howl. The notes were almost all the same length.

"It goes like this," Link said, restarting the melody, but mimicking Sheik rather than the Hero of Twilight. Above him, a golden light began to glow.

In Link's hands, the Ocarina of Time began to glitter and sparkle. He eyed it curiously. He heard the echo of his melody as the Hero of Twilight replicated it, his borrowed Ocarina also gleaming.

I have learned the Prelude of Light, Link thought.

"As long as you hold the Ocarina of Time and the Master Sword," Sheik continued, interrupting Link's thoughts. "You hold time itself in your hands…" He noted the Hero of Twilight and gave him a nod of acknowledgement, then turned back to Link. "Link, we shall meet again!"

Sheik took two steps back and raised his hand in the air, fist clenched. He hesitated, staring at Link, asking him a silent question with that one red eye.

What are you waiting for? Link wondered. He caught a glimpse of the Hero of Twilight's eyes widening. The other Hero quickly shielded his eyes, but Link just stood there and watched Sheik.

The Sheikah couldn't delay for Link any longer. He threw down his Deku Nut and disappeared in a flash.

And that was the last thing Link saw before his vision became white nothingness. He covered his eyes, but it was too late. The Deku Nut had already destroyed his vision; now he was going to have to wait out the effects. He rubbed his eyes in a desperate attempt to regain his sight faster.

"You covered your eyes last time, but not this time?" the Hero of Twilight asked, somewhere to Link's left.

"I wanted to see if it was as bad as you made it look!" Link protested in self-defense.

"And?"

"Well, let's just say all I see is snow!"

"This is why you don't enter the light at the end of the tunnel…"

The Hero of Twilight probably wasn't expecting Link to whirl around and face him, relying on the sound of his voice to tell direction. Link reached into a belt pocket on his shoulder.

Let's see how you enter the light at the end of the tunnel…he thought. His fingers locked around the fist-sized seed in his pouch. He pulled it out of the stealthily-hidden pocket and threw it, hoping it would reach its mark.

Another flash! Why hadn't he thought to close his eyes from the second wave of intense white? Even so, Link wouldn't back down. He'd made his move, it was the Hero of Twilight's turn now.

Unfortunately, all he received was silence, probably from shock or disbelief. He was forced to ask a question.

"Did I get you?"

"Are you kidding me?" the Hero of Twilight demanded from somewhere in front of him. "You have your own limited arsenal of blinding flashes and you choose to use them on me?!"

"Hey, I have thirty or so of these things!" Link replied in his defense.

"You mean you don't know?"

"I'm relying on memory to tell me where I keep them. I don't count how many I have remaining unless I have free time on my hands, and I couldn't keep track of them just then. Besides, I've no idea how many I've thrown!"

Link suddenly became breathless. His body was in motion, soaring over the ground in a second that seemed like a weightless infinity. His eyes widened, but he still couldn't see.

"All I see now is snow, too, thank you very much!" the Hero of Twilight snarled as he and Link thudded to the ground.

Link's tunic scraped across the floor as he skidded over the bricks. He grunted, trying to sit up but finding himself unable to.

"Boys…" Navi sighed from somewhere. Link could never be sure about her location since she was constantly fluttering around. If he could see her though, she would probably be on the floor with them, roughhousing. "Get off the floor. We have better things to do… Besides, you look ridiculous horsing around."

Link was hauled off the floor by the Hero of Twilight, held by his shoulders. His shoulder belt made the distinctive noise of leather stretching and adjusting due to movement.

"Hnngh…" he heard the Hero of Twilight grunt. "Tseaah!"

Link went flying to the left, dragged off his feet by his companion. Another second of weightlessness. Another moment of terror. He hit the ground again, skidding across it.

"But why do we have to go?" Link whined, a smile spreading across his face. He picked himself off the ground and charged in the direction he hoped his companion was in. The world seemed to white over a blur of grey…but at least it wasn't nothingness. "This is fun!" he declared, seizing the Hero of Twilight by his biceps and shoving him against the wall, pinning him there. He could almost see a grey shape now. He could almost see the Hylian Hero.

"Fun…" the Hero of Twilight muttered in agreement. He shook his left arm free and promptly kneed Link in the chest.

Link staggered away, breathless. He shook his head, then blinked repeatedly and rubbed his eyes. He looked up again, the world now a bluish-grey. He could see the bricks! He could see the greying light as it filtered through the windows high above! He could see Navi—tiny, helpless, adorable Navi—fluttering above him where it was safe!

"Hey, I can see again!" he exclaimed in delight. He looked over at the Hero of Twilight, just to see his companion finish rubbing his own eyes and look up at him.

He looks like a monster with that stare! Link thought. His friend came charging toward him again, knocking him off his feet once more. The two collapsed to the ground, the Hero of Twilight forcing Link down and sitting on his chest, knees pinning his arms down.

"I think we both know who'll win this wrestling match," the Hero of Twilight said, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

Link managed to free his left arm and pull out another Deku Nut, its golden interior glowing spectacularly. The perfect weapon. He grinned and waved it tauntingly in front of his companion.

"Well, if you're blind, I'll win," Link said smugly.

The Hero of Twilight snatched it from his hands and studied it. He stood up, staring at it intently. He glanced back at Link and pocketed it, saying, "It's mine now."

"Very well then. I can now steal six weapons from your grave, plus take my Ocarina back."

The Hero of Twilight marched over and thrust the seed back into Link's hand, pushing him back to the ground in the process. "No way. Unless I can have the whole bag, you aren't getting anything else from me but my bottles and Clawshot."

"What's a Clawshot?"

"It's a Hookshot, but better. It can't hook into trees or roofs, but it can grab enemies, allow me to hold onto walls, raise and lower me from the ceiling, activate switches, and so much more!"

"It doesn't work on trees? Sorry, but all other reasons for its convenience are now void."

Navi sighed in exasperation. She was probably thinking, Leave it to boys to take forever… She fluttered over to the Door of Time, leaving the Heroes to their weapon comparisons and bickering.

Both Links looked up, seeing her flee through the open Door and zoom over the altar containing the Spiritual Stones.

"Wait up, Navi!" Link called, rolling to his feet and nearly tripping over himself as he tried to catch up to her.

The Hero of Twilight ran alongside him and gave him a smug look. He sped up, rolling forward and past the dais with the Light Temple's insignia on it. Link tried to roll after him, but he wasn't nearly as fast. He growled some indecipherable words as the Hero of Twilight sprinted past Navi.

"Get back here!" Link shouted. He rolled after his friend, but he still wasn't quick enough. The Hero of Twilight launched over the stairs outside of the Temple of Time, sprinting into the dilapidated remains of Castle Town.

Fortunately for Link, the Hero of Twilight froze instantly. Unfortunately, it was due to a Redead screech, and he himself felt his body lock up.

The Redead approached the Hero of Twilight, who was grunting as he tried to move. His voice was a mixture of several things: fear, desperation, denial; but the emotion that practically dominated the others was the anger in his voice. As the Redead leapt onto the Hero of Twilight, the Hylian Hero freed himself from its paralyzing scream and ripped it off his body. He threw it forward, causing it to slam into the crumbling remains of a building. He charged towards it and leapt on top of it, Master Sword drawn and gleaming in his hand. He plunged the blade into the Redead's heart, causing it to collapse to the ground and lie there, motionless.

The Hero of Twilight waited, glaring at the corpse before him. It took a dreadfully long time to explode, but when it did, the Hylian Hero swung his sword left and right, then began twirling it as he sheathed it. He turned back to Link.

"I hate those things," he growled.

I thought he looked like a monster before, but now I think I've seen the extent of his crazy…Link thought. He looks more terrifying now. Good thing he's on my side…

"Here," Link said, pulling out the Ocarina of Time from his pouch. "Let's stun them with this, shall we?"

"The Ocarina?" the Hero of Twilight asked, his voice doubtful.

Link played six notes; the beginning three—the first of which was low, the second lower, and the third the highest—were repeated to complete the song.

The Redeads immediately turned white and froze in place, unable to do anything.

The Hero of Twilight looked all around the Town, his eyes wide with confusion. He turned back to Link, obviously impressed.

"Teach me that, please!" he begged.

Link laughed and showed him the notes. The Hero of Twilight pulled out Saria's Ocarina and relayed the notes to him.

"That's called the Sun's Song," Link explained as the Redeads refroze.

"That's called a Song from the Goddesses," the Hero of Twilight corrected.

"Hmm…" Link murmured in agreement, walking out of Castle Town with his companion. He leapt over the collapsed remains of the bridge leading to the Town, only to see a strange sight.

Epona was practically flirting with a brown horse that had black socks, a black muzzle, white blaze, and a dark mane and tail. She was teasing him, nipping at his mane and prancing all around. Both horses spotted the Heroes and instantly stopped what they were doing, like children caught in the act of doing something wrong, but still in the stage of denial.

"Whose horse is that?" Link asked.

The Hero of Twilight wordlessly walked over to the brown stallion and climbed into its green saddle.

"Yours?" Link asked in bewilderment.

The Hero of Twilight nodded, pulling back on the reins and causing it to rear. He grinned with delight, looking majestic on his mount.

"What's its name?"

"Epalon. Named after my horse from back home—your horse too, I guess—and Malon. She gave him to me; I thought it only appropriate to name him after her."

Link nodded thoughtfully and pulled himself onto Epona. He turned his horse and spurred her to Kakariko Village. The Hero of Twilight followed him.

Death Mountain, here we come! Link thought.