A/N: I have nothing better to do, so I'm just going to enjoy my Author's Notes talking about random stuff I think is interesting, stupid, or just semi-important. I'll include credits to people in here too, like when they make suggestions and I acknowledged and incorporated those suggestions. But yeah other than that, just some random nonsense will get muttered in here, and if you're like me, and you like random nonsense, you may find it worth reading. You may not. Who knows? I just hope you enjoy the story, honestly. I love feedback though, so feel free to chew me out if I messed up, or tell me what you thought in general. I just like to know I gave you worthy enough content to think about and actually take time out of your life to consider, as well as comment about. Thank you all so much for your reviews!

Ocarina of Time Link's Perspective.

Chapter Eighteen

Dragon Slayers

"I can't believe you boys made such a fuss about a simple Hammer…" Navi grumbled, her body radiating yellow as she targeted another Flare Dancer.

After they had exited the room they dropped the pillar into, they sprinted back down the stairs and veered left. Link had excitedly used his new toy to smash the statue into oblivion, putting every ounce of strength in his body into swinging the oversized Hammer. The Hero of Twilight, clearly quite jealous, rolled his eyes and tossed the key into the locked door and allowed them access to the secret room. That, more or less, led to an entirely new section of dungeon.

Link had used the Hammer to extinguish the fire of four Torch Slugs in the new location, flipping them over with his shockwaves and forcing them to remain completely still. The Hero of Twilight then raced over, performing an odd skill on them by leaping into the air and stabbing his blade into their immobilized bodies, killing them instantly. He further produced his Clawshot and sniped the many Fire Keese in the air.

Even as they darted into a room filled with dreaded demon floor tiles that apparently didn't want to be part of the ground, Link was pleased to have his Hammer. It provided no decent defense against the resentful panels, nor was it a convenient tool to use against the Like Like, but it was his favorite weapon thus far. The other Hero had dispatched the Like Like with some mild complaining as it came incredibly close to eating him. He murdered the Gold Skulltula on the wall, stole its token, and led the charge to the left door where the Heroes now fought.

"We need to enjoy ourselves somehow," the Hero of Twilight argued to Navi as he tore the tiny plump body of the Flare Dancer from its blazing clothes. Link was instantly at his side, putting his entire body into his Jump Attack with his Hammer. Another shockwave rippled through the air, sending tingles through his hands and legs. The Flare Dancer fled back to his place in the ring of fire, whirling and laughing.

"Quit complaining, Navi," Link told her, trying to spin the Hammer in his grasp like the Hero of Twilight was doing with the Master Sword. "I bet if you were big enough to wield it, you would fight us to have it."

"I'm not interested in your silly toy," Navi muttered. "What is it with you boys and being so obsessed with your tools?"

"Who wouldn't want a giant shockwave Hammer? It can fight people, smash switches, break columns, and flatten anything that gets in our way!"

An enormous polished sphere flew past his head, spikes smacking into the Flare Dancer and bringing it to the ground. Link glanced back to see the Hero of Twilight tug on the chain and return his orb of death to his hands, the weight of it slamming him backwards.

"Mine's better," the Hero of Twilight said, immediately putting it away and charging the blue Flare Dancer.

Link wasn't to be outdone. Wielding his Hammer, he leapt onto the Flare Dancer and smashed it to the ground. As he drew back, the Master Sword of his fellow adventurer slashed at the gremlin, scaring it back into its cozy flame circle. The pair waited.

"Nothing's better than a Hammer," Link commented as the Flare Dancer spiraled into a more substantial body, springing from the flames.

The Hero of Twilight, apparently growing tired of the joke, wordlessly smashed his spiked sphere into their opponent once again, drawing his sword and darting over to the creature to finish the job. Link joined him in extinguishing the life of the fiery gremlin.

The bars on the door lifted behind them as the ring of fire died down, and a small treasure chest materialized on top of the platform. Link leapt onto the platform, throwing open the chest and raising a decent quantity of bombs over his head.

"Not a key," the Hero of Twilight observed. "Strange." He began to meander over to their exit on the right side of the room, opening the door as Link pursued him.

Once again, they had wandered into a dark corridor made of cobblestone and framed with brick pillars. Torches blazed on the walls, and a barricade of bars prevented them from proceeding onward. Another set was beyond the imprisoned Goron. However, as most monsters were quite stupid, the switch was directly in front of the Heroes, rusted over but present nonetheless.

"If your tools are so much better, prove it," Link encouraged the Hero of Twilight, pointing with his Hammer at the switch.

The Hero of Twilight leapt onto it, his Iron Boots bathing in the orange glow of the torches either side of him. The switch shuddered, then dropped into the floor and caused the two rows of bars to slide into opposing walls.

Link entered the small confinement area and eyed the enormous blue treasure chest eagerly. The Hero of Twilight was approaching the Goron to interact with him, so the Hero of Time rested his hands on the ornate gold that covered the chest and threw it open.

"Are you releasing me? Am I free to go?" the Goron inquired of the Hero of Twilight as Link reached into the blinding golden glow.

"Indeed. By request of Darunia, I have come to set you free," the Hylian Hero informed.

"Oh, I see. Big Brother Darunia asked you to rescue me. I owe you big time!"

"No need to trouble yourself."

I got the Boss Key! Link thought as he pulled out a solid gold key inlaid with a large red ruby between the horns of its diamond-shaped head. Now I can get inside the chamber where the Boss lurks.

"Please help Big Brother!" the Goron implored the Hero of Twilight, distracting Link from his mental celebrations. He placed the Boss Key in his inventory, standing by the Hylian Hero as the Goron quickly fled the dungeon. The two watched him disappear in silence, before the Hero of Twilight dashed after him and exited the room.

"Now that we have the Key, we can save Darunia," he said as Link followed him. The two found themselves on the opposite side of the stairs from where the Hero of Time smashed the statue into oblivion, which surprised them. They had gone in a complete circle, just to free a single Goron and acquire one Key. Couldn't the Hero of Twilight just magic his way into the room and do it that way? He had done that with everything else, as far as Link was concerned.

Regardless, the two ascended the stairs and turned to the left, entering the lava room where they had dropped the column. The Hero of Twilight, deciding to be a daredevil like Link, sprang over the lava and onto the pillar, his fingers scarcely catching its surface to pull himself up. He climbed onto it, then took another running leap for the enormous chained door Darunia had disappeared inside, hefting himself onto that platform as well.

Link pursued him, reaching into his inventory and setting the Boss Key into its lock. The chains retracted into the surrounding walls as the lock itself condensed and vanished, the flame-engraved door they bound now sliding freely into the ceiling. Both Heroes regarded one another, before they entered the new room.

The floor transitioned to more defined bricks, but it only extended roughly ten feet before it completely stopped. A small square pedestal rose from a sea of lava, providing a path to the spacious stage riddled with magma pits. The Hero of Twilight was looking all around, sizing up the ceiling far above and the stone columns that supported it. His calm expression flashed with surprise and his movements became quicker.

"Where…?" he began, and the matter he was concerned about became evident to Link.

"Darunia…!" the Hero of Time realized, spinning in a circle in search of the Goron. To his side, the Hero of Twilight's countenance changed to fury and he sprang off their platform, landing on the smaller stage and further proceeding to the strange dark dirt-packed arena.

Were…were we too late? Link wondered, almost rooted to the spot as his friend ventured further into the obvious battlefield.

To his horror, the world began to tremble, and the atmosphere darkened to a disconcerting red. The Hero of Twilight was looking around quickly, trying to isolate where the source of the disturbance was coming from. Behind him, the column that allowed access to the stage began to sink into the lava.

"Argh, no!" Link shouted, dropping onto it and leaping onto the arena to join the Hylian Hero. The temperature of the room steadily began to increase with the severity of the tremors, the shuddering rattling the Heroes' metal equipment. Regardless, both stood together and glared at the multiple craters filled with bubbling magma.

"Prepare yourself," the Hero of Twilight commanded, his weapons drawn as his eyes darted from one pit to the next.

Directly ahead of them, flames began to spew from one of the pools. Both of them fixed their eyes on the oddity, and Navi herself seemed ready to flutter over to it for targeting convenience. A strange protrusion of red-hot iron emerged from the pool, followed by a multitude of additional small plates. The projection continued onward to form two enormous horns joined to flames that flowed like a mane of long, tangled hair. A series of miniature bars overlapped glowing green eyes as a serpentine body of lava and half-formed rocks lifted free of the pit. Though it didn't possess legs, its arms were resting at its side as it continued into the air, flying despite an obvious lack of wings.

"And I thought Midna was hotheaded," the Hero of Twilight commented, only to suddenly giggle as the shadows around him flickered. Was that a hand mark on his cheek?

"Subterranean Lava Dragon," Navi explained for the Heroes as the beast circled them in the air. "Volvagia."

The dragon apparently wasn't fond of Navi's pronunciation of its name. It spewed fire at her, missing terribly as it soared overhead. Perhaps those bars inhibited its vision. Regardless, it plunged back into the ground, disappearing from the same hole it had come from.

Both Links stared at the pit, before looking to one another.

"What…are we too ugly to be near for too long?" Link asked.

"You may be, but I'm not," the Hero of Twilight commented.

Link lightly punched him in the shoulder. "Says who?"

"I'm betrothed. Are you?"

"I'm just a little kid!"

"Watch out!" Navi called as she drifted over to Volvagia, who was spewing fire from its place at the far left corner of the stage. Both Heroes looked up to find her, quickly charging over to join her at the beast.

The dragon swept its fiery hair out of its face and rested its left elbow on the ground, right fist digging into the soil as it snarled at the Heroes. The Hero of Twilight was not amused, spinning his blade in his hand and striking its multi-plated protection with his tool. Sparks flew, but the monster didn't even flinch. It slashed its claws at him, spinning around and dropping back beneath the pool.

"We need something more powerful than the Master Sword to slay it," Link informed the Hero of Twilight, his beast of a Hammer gleaming red in the light. "Something like this."

The Hylian Hero nodded, reaching into his inventory as Volvagia dared poke its head back out of the hole. He stepped back to allow Link to take a swing at the monster with his Hammer. Much to their surprise, however, whatever the Hero of Twilight was reaching for was unnecessary. The helmet of the dragon fractured off, iron fragments flying in all directions.

"Convenient," the Hero of Twilight uttered as he once again swung his sword, attacking the beast repeatedly with the dangerously sharp blade. Before Link could even draw his own sword, the dragon rested both hands on its ugly pink snout and ducked back into the lava, slipping out of their grasp.

"Well…this thing… It's relatively powerless against us, isn't it?" Link noted. "All I have to do is hit it with the Hammer, and then you strike it with your sword. It'll be defeated quite quickly, if this is truly all the difficulty the beast possesses."

He spoke too soon.

Volvagia, not to be outdone, launched into the air and continued gliding through the sky effortlessly. It shot a breath of flame at Link, forcing him to sprint out of the way. The Hero of Twilight was once again reaching in his pouch, mumbling something to himself as the Hero of Time fled. Apparently, he had something in his inventory that would tear the dragon back to the ground. Was there anything he didn't have? Aside from the most glorious Megaton Hammer, obviously.

"What are you looking for?!" Link demanded, before crying out as a column of heat blasted him in the back and slammed him into the scorching ground. He pressed his hands to the surface and quickly forced himself back to his feet. He scarcely ducked beneath the vicious snapping of the infuriated dragon that was circling him.

The spiked orb of the Hero of Twilight crashed into Volvagia's pink nose, knocking the beast away from Link and dragging it to the ground with the impact. It lay still on the arena, inviting the Hero of Time to draw his sword and dash over to its face. Since he hadn't held his blade for a little while—enjoying his Hammer and using it at every available opportunity—the sword seemed a little weightless in his grasp. He swung it without resistance, cutting deep into the immobilized dragon, which was immediately stirred back to its senses.

It roared at Link, spitting flames directly at his face and sending him stumbling backwards. He couldn't see, rubbing his eyes as his brain did its best to process this new pain stinging in him. Blood was running down his cheeks.

"Watch out!" Navi called out to him, inviting Link to remove his hand and glance down at the lava bubbling several feet below him; he had stumbled over to the edge of the arena, and was about to slip off completely.

Link didn't even have time to yelp. Though he was falling backwards, clawing at the air, metal prongs locked around the front of his Goron's Tunic and prevented him from tumbling down into the lava pool. The metal fingers tugged back on his form, chain retracting and dragging him toward the Hero of Twilight.

The Hylian Hero was forced to release his Clawshot as Volvagia dive-bombed him. What was it with flying creatures and deciding that such a method was the absolute best to destroy the Hero of Twilight? Even so, his weapon's chain coiled completely and brought the contraption to Link's chest, where it then released him and plopped onto the ground. He looked up to his friend, who now had a considerable bite on his shoulder.

The Hero of Twilight casually punched Volvagia in the snout as the beast rounded on him again, then trudged over to Link and retrieved the Clawshot.

"Thanks," the Hero of Time commented. "It looks like I need to save you for once!"

"Next dungeon, perhaps," the Hero of Twilight agreed, turning back to see the dragon plunge back into the lava.

"His hair is so fabulous," Navi murmured as Volvagia once again appeared from the lava pits. The beast circled in the air, but as the Hero of Twilight lifted his spherical orb on a chain, it changed its mind and proceeded to drift to the ceiling a safe distance away.

"How do you know it's a guy?" the Hero of Twilight asked, putting away his tool as the dragon's lava body scraped across the rough, uneven roof and began ripping or melting rocks from the ceiling. "I say it's female. It has feminine eyes and hair."

"It's awesome," Link commented, leaping to the side as a rock came down in the place he had stood seconds ago. "I want to keep it as a pet… Imagine owning a pet dragon!"

"Link!" Navi protested.

"Well, if it's a girl, you should retain it as a pet," the Hero of Twilight proclaimed. "I mean, it flies, is easily irritable, radiates light, and makes lots of noise… It could replace Navi perfectly."

If she hadn't been targeting Volvagia for Link, Navi probably would have schemed some way to push the Hero of Twilight into lava for that remark. However, because she was busy, she instead settled with luring the dragon toward him.

"You're dead for that one, greenie," she seethed.

Volvagia plunged into the lava pool at the Hylian Hero's feet, spraying his shoes with molten rock. He tapped his boots on the ground as the fairy charged his face. He brushed her aside distractedly as fire spewed from one pit, only to spark from another seconds later.

Volvagia emerged from the second, and Link darted over. He brandished his Hammer, his fairy joining him and helpfully targeting the waiting beast. He struck his tool against the armored snout of the dragon. When had it retrieved its defense? He didn't know, but its hard work became meaningless as his toy smashed it back to smithereens. The beast collapsed at his feet, but he was only able to strike it once before it slipped back into the lava and launched from a different pit.

The dragon encircled Link, forcing him to raise his shield as it attempted to bite his head off. He spotted the shining sphere of the Hero of Twilight, tool once again colliding with the dragon and knocking it to the ground. Though he immediately drew his sword and Jump Attacked the dragon, Link only managed to strike it once before it fled to the nearest crater and plunged into the bubbling lava.

Apparently growing tired of dealing with the Hero of Twilight, the dragon returned to the ceiling moments later and rattled the entire world. Dozens of boulders began to fall in a steady rhythm to the floor, smashing apart as they connected with the stage. The Hylian Hero was watching his shadows and casually stepping out of the way whenever they were disturbed. Small fragments of rock clanged harmlessly off his shield. Link could see from where he stood that the Hero of Twilight had that fierce bestial look on his face once again.

From the multitudes of lava craters, flames were erupting without cease. However, Volvagia did not emerge from any of them; the pits were simply blazing out of control. The beast was probably blowing flames from underground in an attempt to distract or confuse them, but they weren't about to just blindly charge forward to examine every hole. They waited patiently, only willing to move if they saw the horns and fiery hair exit any of the pools.

Link spotted the distinct orange tendrils of fire in one of the pits so he quickly shot forward, Megaton Hammer firm in his grasp. He leapt at the exiting form of the dragon, his weapon smashing down on the repaired armor once again. Volvagia recoiled, body swaying dazedly before crashing back down to the searing arena floor.

The Hero of Twilight jumped into the air, producing a battle cry as he brought his blade down simultaneously with the Hero of Time's strike. The two weapons pierced the beast, which immediately tore itself free from them, howling loudly with that awful scratchy voice. It dug its fingers into its skull and slipped into the lava, both Links watching its sluggish movements disappear into the liquid.

For the final time, Volvagia launched into the sky, curling back on itself and twisting through the air. Flames ignited all across its body, rocks and lava burning away its form and leaving nothing but bone. The Hero of Twilight seemed stunned with this as the entire body of the beast was reduced to a skeleton, but Link had seen several monsters become mere bones before, so he wasn't fazed.

The structure remained in the air for a few seconds that seemingly stretched into eternity. Then, without further warning, each segment of the skeleton dropped to the ground, bouncing across the surface and disappearing into the lava below. Volvagia's disembodied head slammed to the floor at the Links' feet, eyes still remaining open but lacking their sinister glow. The jaw tensed and twitched, before the entire skull erupted in blue flames and turned to dust.

"Pleasant…" the Hero of Twilight muttered, only for his annoyed attitude to vanish as a Heart Container remained in the beast's place.

"No pets for me…" Link sighed half-heartedly. Even so, he seized his new Heart Container and held it proudly over his head.

I got a Heart Container! he thought. My maximum life energy is increased by one heart. My life energy will be totally filled.

The Hero of Twilight nodded his approval. "We could always acquire another pet for you. Perhaps that wolf that plagues my homeland?"

Link chuckled. "Only if you catch him. Anyway, come on! Let's go!" He indicated the glowing blue ring of light. "I bet Darunia became one of the Sages, which would explain why he isn't here. Maybe he got taken by the light before Volvagia could eat him?"

The Hero of Twilight chased after the Hero of Time, but he wasn't quick enough to jump into the azure circle before it encased Link in a rupee-shaped blue container. He stepped back, staring as the object began to rise into the air, carrying the Hero of Time.

Link waved farewell to his companion, knowing that the two would be reunited soon anyway. Even if they didn't meet in the Sacred Realm, he would still run into the Hero of Twilight shortly after the meeting with the new Sage. There was no need to be concerned.

The world dimmed to an indecipherable black all around him, before a blinding white overtook his vision, and Link was transported to the Sacred Realm.

No need to be concerned indeed, since Link could not feel the explosions that shook the mountain, nor was he aware of the volcanic ash or ring of fire being sucked into the sky and vanishing into nothingness. His efforts were definitely beneficial, but it made it that much more complicated for the Hero of Twilight to warp out with Midna.

Now that he was in the Chamber of the Sages, however, such matters were far from Link's mind, hidden from his knowledge. Once again, he landed in the white section of the Triforce platform, on his feet and directly facing the short pedestal bearing the red insignia of flame. A second ring of light glowed on the platform, and the spiked rocky hair of a Goron began to emerge from the shine.

Link watched patiently as the entire form of Darunia rose from the light, the Goron leader wearing the same smile he remembered seeing seven years ago. It almost hurt to see that nothing had changed of the leader. His black arm tattoos were exactly the same, as were the double white dots at the corners of his eyes. Even his voice hadn't been affected by time.

"Thank you, Brother!" Darunia declared.

It's almost as if seven years haven't passed, Link thought to himself as he replied with a simple, "You're welcome." As if we could just walk out of here and see the beautiful land of Hyrule, bustling with Hylians and devoid of the prominent touch of death. Soldiers would be in every town, and Zelda would still be safe.

"I really appreciate what you did. I thank you on behalf of the entire Goron race!" Darunia continued.

"It was an honor," Link replied respectfully, his mind still engaged as he spoke to his Sworn Brother. But seven years have passed… They have indeed, and all that remains of this beautiful land I call my home is a wasteland of death, overrun by monsters I would have fled from as a child. And though I now stand in the body of an adult, forced to be the Hero I was not prepared to become, I cannot return to the incident seven years ago and prevent Zelda from falling into the evil clutches of Ganondorf.

"You turned out to be a real man, just as I thought you would!" Darunia encouraged, though he was not aware of Link's thoughts. Even so, his words had a greater impact than he perhaps had intended.

Darunia… Link smiled. He believes me to be a real man now, an adult. A proper adult. A Hero. Even if I wasn't prepared to become one, with all these challenges that rise up to overtake me, he believes that I'm strong enough to overcome them. Even if I had seven years stolen from me… Everyone I've met has faith that I am the Hero, trusting wholeheartedly that I am ready to assume the role of the Hero of Time. They don't believe me too young, too immature, or incapable. They trust me.

"By the way, I, the wild Darunia, turned out to be the great Sage of Fire… Isn't that funny, Brother?"

I will ensure that I remain strong enough to never let them down. I am a Hero, and though the mistakes of my past are the reason Hyrule has fallen into this destruction, I was given the courage to persevere and protect those who aren't able to defend themselves. It was ordained that Hyrule become this broken world, and now I, the Hero of Time—accompanied by the other Link—have been entrusted by the goddesses this role to save the world.

"No more humorous than myself assuming my role as the Hero of Time," Link replied.

"Well, this must be what they call destiny. Nothing has made me happier than helping you seal the evil here!"

I will not let anyone down.

"Hey, Brother, take this! This is a Medallion that contains the power of the fire spirits—and my friendship." Darunia lifted his hands to the sky, causing Link to look up into the brilliant white light overhead. A red gleam caught his eye, so he lifted his own hands as a disk drifted toward him, spinning uncontrollably but heading steadily in his direction. It was the color of a pure ruby, carved with the relief of a three-pronged flame.

I received the Fire Medallion! Link thought, smiling happily and pushing aside his other considerations. Darunia awakens as a Sage and adds his power to mine!

The world all around Link was overtaken with white, hiding Darunia from his sight as the Hero of Time began to depart from the Chamber of the Sages without his permission. The last thing he heard before he was returned to the world of Hyrule was Darunia's farewell proclamation.

"Don't forget… Now you and I are true Brothers!"

. . . . .

"But we aren't blood-related!" Link heard from above him as he waited patiently for the return of the Hero of Time on the stone dais in Death Mountain Crater. He looked up, spotting the column of mystical blue light that contained his companion. The other Hero began to fall, but the descent wouldn't be enough to hurt him, so Link wasn't too concerned. He rose to his feet as his friend dropped to the ground beside him.

"Good thing, too," Link commented, before noting pleasantly that the Hero of Time didn't seem nearly as shaken up from his visit to the Sacred Realm as he had been after completion of the Forest Temple. "You don't appear to be mentally distressed this visit as with the last. How did things proceed in my absence?"

"They proceeded well," the Hero of Time replied, before he seemed to process what Link had said immediately before that. His expression changed to skepticism as he inquired, "Why wouldn't you want to be my brother?"

"Having you as my older sibling would be quite a nuisance," Link teased, beginning to walk across the bridge to their left.

"Yeah, and you'd be an obnoxious brother to have, too," the Hero of Time retorted, whipping out his Hookshot and firing it at the post sticking out of the ground across the broken bridge. It immediately pulled him toward the other side, leaving Link on the ruined section with no way to join his friend except by transformation into a wolf.

The Hero of Time turned and waited for Link to follow, but Link waved his hand dismissively.

"Proceed," he called. "I'm a slow climber, remember?"

"Yeah, true," the Hero of Time agreed, turning around without further questioning. He began to walk to the exit of Death Mountain Crater, only to seemingly spot a pair of grey boulders a short run and another bridge away. The Hylian Hero quickly whipped out his Hammer, darting across the wooden planks and striking the stone with his toy. The force somewhat knocked him back, but he was not deterred from assaulting them again.

"Midna," Link whispered, backing out of his friend's sight.

"This is risky," she told him, but she transformed him anyway without even waiting for the command.

Link rose to his feet and shook himself off, black Twilit squares fracturing off his body. He looked to the post above him, where Midna had floated and now beckoned to him with her hair-hand. He leapt up after her, only for her to drift to the other side of the broken bridge out of his grasp. He sprung toward her, landing on the other side of the lava pit just in time to see the Hero of Time disappear into another cave. Adventuring was the Hylian Hero's favorite hobby, after all.

"Transform into human," Link called out to Midna as she dropped painfully onto his back and made him cough. She acknowledged his request seconds later, pressing the Master Sword to his hand and causing the twilight spell to sever from his body. He stood as a human once more, chasing after his friend to see what new environment they could explore. He disappeared into a large square passageway, body enshrouded in black nothingness.

The first thing he saw after the darkness cleared was the white brick walls, ceiling, and floor illuminated by orange torches shortly ahead. His boots clicked as he leisurely walked across the surface, which quickly widened and transitioned to smooth white marble as he descended the stairs. The walls gushed mysterious dark water tinted ice blue, yet did not reflect the glow of flames from the torches. The braziers themselves were just as strange: fireballs flickering on two pillars that were both made of a single triangle set on its head.

Link spotted the Hero of Time at the far end of the room, waiting on a second set of stairs with his Ocarina at his lips. He began to play the familiar melody Link himself had howled in the Sacred Grove when he had been transformed by Zant's dark power, and later hummed along to in Goron City as the Hero of Time tried in vain to open the door to Darunia's vacated room. The melody resonated pleasantly through the room, filling the structure and drowning out the sound of trickling water.

Link would have joined his friend immediately if disturbing laughter hadn't suddenly broken the serenity. He looked around quickly before his eyes fell on the pool of water directly in front of the Hero of Time. Was it coming from the water? There was no way… It was no more than a foot deep, and perfectly clear. Even so, he cautiously approached the pool and stood on the step just below the Hero of Time's.

At that precise moment, Hyrule itself decided to play a mean joke on him. Horrific cackling filled the room, definitely coming from that evil water. Link shot back, staring bewilderedly as a strange figure rose out of the liquid, summoning herself from nothingness. He blinked several times, his mind working quickly as he tried to decide if she was an enemy or not.

The Hero of Time snickered under his breath, and Link caught a glimpse of his friend looking at him before the other Hero turned away and faced the female. Link also looked to the woman, concluding that she was not a monster…she just seemed like one.

She was certainly a frightening creature. She wore too much dark pink eyeshadow around her purple eyes, which were framed with excessively long lashes. A beauty mark was on her left cheek, and her hair was the same color as both the eyeshadow and her lipstick. She wore no clothes except for knee-high dark leather boots, and some ivy that didn't look too comfortable to wear. It wrapped around her entire body and even interwove with her hair—binding it in three ponytails—but it didn't cover enough of her skin to make a suitable modest garb.

Link could feel himself turning red up to his ears in embarrassment, and he looked away from her. What even was she? A fairy? She didn't look like any he had ever seen. Then again, with that pink hair, perhaps she could be; fairies were pink after all. Maybe she was just a gigantic one, and therefore was not able to be enveloped in that small but powerful glow that the winged creatures had. She could fly, too, so perhaps she didn't even need wings.

But what even kind of fairy would she be? Link wondered. A Great Fairy? I thought those didn't exist…

"Welcome Link!" the female said with another soft, chilling laugh as she beckoned to him, her legs crossed. "I am the Great Fairy of Wisdom!"

"Hello…" Link reluctantly said, waving just to be polite.

Fortunately for him, the female was too focused on the Hero of Time to care much about his motion. She proceeded with, "I'm going to enhance your magic power. Receive it now!"

With another giggle, she straightened, extending both arms and causing a circle of green to surround the Hero of Time. Link watched as his friend looked around and examined himself to see if anything had changed. Even though nothing looked different, the other Hero turned away from the Great Fairy and lifted his hands over his head as if he had received something.

Poor thing has no idea he's been hoodwinked, Link thought.

"Your magic power has been enhanced!" the Great Fairy said, though as far as the Hero of Twilight was concerned, it was a lie. "Now you have twice as much Magic Power!"

Seeing that the encounter was now mostly over, Link turned around to leave. His boots were like thunder in this strange location, ensuring that the Hero of Time would understand that the Hero of Twilight was on his way out to continue questing.

He wasn't exactly allowed to go.

"Link!" the Great Fairy called after him, stopping him dead in his tracks. "I see your life is not reinforced by the power of magic, yet you possess tools so instilled with such power. I will grant you the ability to imbue the objects of this world with the life of your own!"

Wait…with my life, or the life of my Hyrule? Link wondered. Either way, it wasn't as if he would get much choice in the matter. Another circle of green appeared on the floor, fencing him in where he stood. He remained absolutely still as a strange feeling filled his entire body, concentrating on his chest and head. It rejuvenated him, pouring strength and energy into his being.

"You have been given the power to place statues under your dominion," she informed him. "As you do so, magic power will be consumed. Pay attention to your Magic Meter!"

Link quickly scoured his inventory, searching to see this mysterious Magic Meter that he could hear filling with power. He couldn't find it. Like his Health Meter, it wasn't visible; it had to be assumed based on the amount of available energy it provided to him.

"When battle has made you weary, please come back to see me," the Great Fairy commanded. With another hideous shriek of laughter, she began to shrink and descend back into the water, vanishing into oblivion by no understandable means.

"I got an enhanced Magic Meter, and all you got is a Magic Meter," the Hero of Time said, turning around with a smug look on his face as he approached Link.

Link was still wondering exactly what had just happened. He had somewhat of a blank look on his face as he stared at the place where the freaky Fairy had just vanished off to, and he still wasn't entirely certain she was a Fairy at all. It took him a prolonged moment before he finally turned to regard his friend.

"What kind of creature…?"

"She's just a Great Fairy. Why do you look so stunned?"

Oh, so I am correct…Link thought, but that didn't make him feel any more relieved.

"Why wasn't she wearing any clothes?" he asked.

"She's a Fairy. She doesn't see anyone very often. Why would she need clothes?"

Link pinched his eyebrows together. I keep forgetting he's just a little kid. Obviously this sort of thing is meaningless to him.

"Never mind, let's just go," he muttered, now marching out the door. His mind was swimming with thoughts, but there was one that had drifted to the front and now dominated his considerations.

If I truly do not belong in this ancient Hyrule, why does it continually grant me the techniques or provide me with these archaic objects for my adventure? Link asked himself. Perhaps I was barricaded in the Temple of Time and locked into this other world for another reason beyond my knowledge.

Perhaps he was never supposed to leave…

. . . . .

A/N: I find it strange that the Great Fairy says "magic power" in one sentence and then "Magic Power" in another. Why is one capitalized but the other not? I'm very confused… Oh well. I guess I'll conform to the video game's capitalization rules.