A/N: (Dear Guest000, am I late? Bet you weren't expecting an update within two hours of your review. XD) Anyway, oh look! The Water Temple! Time to dawdle. Also, uhm...yeah...I took a lot of liberties with stuff here. Emotions and stuff. Yeah. This is the last time we'll get the sappy sissy OoT stuff; after this chapter, OoT Link should be perfectly fine with saving the world. (I make no guarantees though, seeing as I didn't even intend for it to happen in this chapter.) Just be patient for me here though, okay?

Ocarina of Time Link's Perspective.

Chapter Twenty-One

A Detour Through Time

Link silently stole over to the wolf, walking slowly down the ramp on the east side of the wall. Navi remained motionless in his hands, just as mesmerized with the beast as he was. He stepped around to its front and halted four feet from the animal, studying it from a distance in case it woke up.

The wolf wore a very peaceful expression on its face. It was breathing rhythmically, the soft snores almost completely mute. Any sound issued from its mouth was drowned out by the crackle of the fire it relished, its dark fur bathed in the orange glow of the flame but somewhat reflecting the blue of the icy world nearby.

Link studied the pattern on its forehead, curiously regarding the very symmetrical image that almost reminded him of a rearranged Hyrulian insignia. The animal's paws were tucked under itself, so he couldn't see the shackle he remembered bound its left foot. However, the snapped chain was barely visible peeking out beneath its fluffy body.

Heart hammering in his chest, Link risked stepping closer to the wolf. He could scarcely see something pressed against its side, so he crouched down on the ice in front of the animal, not daring to take even one more step in case it heard him.

That strange creature that he had seen riding atop the wolf was now resting with it, her small body completely hidden by the beast's back leg and neck. Though she continued to wear her intriguing helmet, it seemed the large headdress was not heavy enough to ruin either of the pair's slumber.

The wolf shifted, adjusting its tail from where it rested on its snout. During this process, it seemed to tickle its nose, which caused it to snort. Link watched in absolute silence as the animal uncurled. Though it at first seemed the beast was ready to sprawl out on the ground, it had disturbed itself from its nap, and therefore chose to open its dark blue eyes instead. It blinked twice, having a hard time comprehending what it was seeing directly in front of it.

Link shot back as the animal's eyes widened, slipping across the ice with Navi still in his hands. The wolf itself had leapt to its feet, its companion tumbling forward and growling in some strange fractured language.

"Uoifayyyse…" she said, whapping it in the side. She opened her own eyes, turning to face her animal but freezing midway, her piercing gaze falling squarely on Link.

The wolf wasted no time in knocking into her with its head, scooping her up onto its back and sprinting forward.

"Come back!" Link called, trying to run after it but failing miserably as his boots refused to grip the ice.

The wolf itself was having problems, its claws skittering across the frozen world as it forced itself toward the waterfall as opposed to the stairs it was so close to. Perhaps it would rather skate than trip down the stairway.

Link managed to gain footing, darting after the fleeing animal. However, it had already mastered the art of skating, sliding away faster than he could ever hope to run. He followed it down the icy path, watching with wide eyes as it ran to the edge of the waterfall without even daring to slow.

"Wait!" Link called, just as the beast's claws slipped somewhat down the fall, setting the animal at an awkward angle. The creature on its back gave a simple wave of farewell to the pair as the wolf utilized its position to leap forward. It soared through the air, seemingly gliding in slow motion as Link himself slid to a halt at the edge of the frozen falls. He watched the duo plummet to the ice below, the animal slamming into the ground and coughing. He almost thought he was seeing things as a recovery heart fractured off the animal's body, washing it in red. Wasn't that the heart he always saw within Heart Containers?

Does that thing have a health meter? Link mentally demanded, watching the animal return to its feet and scramble away. It darted out the entrance to Zora's Domain, vanishing into the gushing waterfall and possibly disappearing forever.

"Is it…" Navi whispered, floating around Link's head. "Is it following us?"

"I have…no idea…" he replied.

Navi pounced on his hat. "I like how you thought you could stop it from escaping by calling out to it…as if it understands Hylian or something."

Link frowned. "Shush, Navi." He turned around. "Well, it's gone now. I kinda wonder how it got in here, seeing as no one can jump through that waterfall without playing Zelda's Lullaby."

"He howls."

"What?"

"He probably howled the song. He did howl the Bolero of Fire, after all."

Link nodded thoughtfully, marching back through the tunnel and returning to the top of King Zora's throne. He reached back into his inventory once again, ready to whip out the Blue Fire.

"That wolf is far too prideful and adventurous to be normal…" Navi murmured as the flames engulfed the red ice.

Link nodded his agreement as he leapt off the frozen waterfall and onto the stairs, whirling around to speak to King Zora. For now, it seemed he needed to put the beast out of his mind; he had more pressing matters at hand, like freeing everything from its prison of red ice.

"Oh-I've come back to life!" His Majesty exclaimed. Even after seven years, he still wore the same red cloak outlined and clasped in gold, with a matching crown. He also still looked like someone had stuck a fish's upper half on some toothpick legs and gave it some human arms. "Was it you who saved me?"

Link nodded, but said nothing.

"Don't be nervous!" King Zora encouraged, kicking his legs like an anxious child. He studied Link closely, his blue eyes seeming foggy despite being definitely focused. "It looks like you have a hard time breathing underwater."

"Yes, Your Highness," Link confirmed.

"As an expression of my gratitude, I grant you this tunic. With this, you won't choke underwater."

"Which would be quite nice, wouldn't you say?" Navi hissed in Link's ear.

He snickered, reaching up to catch the tunic that King Zora tossed at him. He held it over his head, watching it spin by strange Hyrulian magic.

I got a Zora Tunic! Link thought. This diving suit is adult size, so it won't fit me as a kid. Wear it, and I won't drown underwater.

Link turned back to King Zora, but it seemed His Majesty had nothing left to say to him. Bowing respectfully, the Hero of Time backed away from the small staircase and turned to run down the larger stairwell. He took the steps three at a time, almost tripping several instances but managing to remain upright. He followed the curve of the path down to the Zora shop, only to halt immediately.

The Hero of Twilight was examining the red ice wall that blocked the entrance, his gaze fixed squarely on the center of the barricade. He glanced to the side, spotting Link standing there silently.

"Greetings," the Hero of Twilight called out to him, giving a small wave.

Link marched toward him, a severe expression on his face. He could tell he looked menacing based on the way the other Hero flinched when he stopped right in front of him. Even so, the Hero of Time gave his friend a somewhat harsh shove away from the shopkeeper's doorway.

"Why weren't you waiting for me in the throne room?" Link seethed, reaching into his inventory.

"I wasn't finished searching for clues," the Hero of Twilight protested, adjusting his shoulder belts and shrugging to fix his chainmail. "I've only been here for about thirty minutes."

"I was out for at least an hour!" Link snapped, pulling out his second to last bottle of Blue Fire and dumping the contents on the icy wall.

The Hero of Twilight stepped back to avoid being burned, his eyes widening before he looked back at Link. "Do you not remember how strenuous the journey is, to depart the Temple of Time and travel here?"

"So I assume that in your search for clues you spotted that wolf?" Navi asked.

The Hylian Hero raised an eyebrow at the pair, glancing at the ground where the ice was hissing, only to do a double-take at the floor. "You—!" he began.

"Yes, I found a way to melt the ice," Link agreed. "I also found out where the Zora's are, so I already know that the shopkeeper's going to be in there, and that he has Zora Tunics for sale, and I know that we're not leaving until you purchase one."

The Hero of Twilight dismissed the notion. "I have one."

"How?" Navi demanded.

"I acquired it for assisting the Zoras not too long after they thawed out the last time; I earned Her Majesty's gratitude and she gave me a garb crafted by her husband for the Hero. And in regard to the wolf, I did not see him."

Navi dive-bombed the Hero of Twilight. "How could you miss something so obvious?"

"I was searching for Zoras, not wolves!"

"How is it that whenever that thing shows up, you're never around?"

"What are you insinuating?"

"What do you think I'm insinuating?!"

"Do I look like a wolf to you?" the Hero of Twilight demanded.

"If you're innocent, show me your Heart Containers," Link cut in.

The Hero of Twilight turned away from the fairy and faced the Hero of Time instead. Without another word, he reached into his inventory and drew out a massive collection of Heart Containers. He held all sixteen of them in his arms, not daring to set them down since he would die without any life energy.

Link examined all of them, almost too stunned by their appearance to actually do what he intended. Every Container was immensely different from his own. Instead of being a two-dimensional vibrant scarlet banded by a thin strip of blue, these were three-dimensional with a diamond-like cut. They were a faded red, framed in decorative pale olive band, and they horrifically changed their opacity to the rhythm of a real heartbeat.

Where did he get those? Link wondered. I've never seen Containers so intricate in the entirety of Hyrule… My Heart Containers don't look like that! He did his best to shrug off the oddity and began looking for cracks or blackened interiors: anything that would indicate his friend sustained falling damage from that waterfall. There was nothing of the sort. All sixteen Heart Containers were beating properly. Not an ounce of damage had been dealt to any of them.

Of course not, Link thought. Link's a Hylian, not a wolf. No amount of magic could change him into a monster.

"Happy now, Navi?" the Hero of Time inquired, turning away from his friend and beginning to march to the exit. Now that the only two Zoras left in the Domain had been freed once again, he had other matters on his mind.

"W-what?" Navi asked. "What does that prove?"

"The wolf took damage from falling. But all of Link's Hearts are in perfect condition. He has no bottles to restore his life energy. How do you explain his flawless health?"

Navi looked between the two heroes. She then dropped onto Link's shoulder, sighing.

"Alright, fine," she relented. "But how do you explain the wolf following us everywhere? It was in Goron City, Death Mountain, the Fire Temple, and now here! It's following us, Link, and then every time we get close, it runs away! Why would an animal be so dedicated and then change its mind every time we draw near?"

The Hero of Twilight slowly raised his hand, as if asking for permission to speak.

"What?" Link asked as the trio exited the Domain.

"Where did you find this wolf? In the Ice Cavern?"

"No, it was curled up under the torch at the top of the stairway that leads to the throne room," Navi answered.

"And you say he jumped off the waterfall?"

"Yes."

The Hero of Twilight shook his head in disbelief and chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Navi asked as Link followed the natural arches down and began to descend Zora's River.

"He's not following you…he's following me!" the Hylian Hero snickered. Navi wasn't impressed by this observation, so he elaborated. "Listen, I informed you I come from a distant land. I work on a ranch, and that wolf has been known to prowl around. Now, I've departed my home, and yet he persists. That beast is addicted to the smell of ranch animals on my clothes! He's been tracking me down, dogging my steps because I smell like food!"

Link halted, then spun around to face his friend. "So because he's always following after you, he appears to be waiting around for us?"

The Hero of Twilight nodded insistently. "Yes! I searched the entirety of the Domain, even returning to the top of the falls. I extinguished and reignited the torches. I attempted everything I could to melt the ice, and left my scent everywhere."

You know, that actually makes a lot of sense…Link thought. Well, much more sense than Link being a wolf.

"How did it even know to find us here, though?" Navi wondered aloud, as the Hero of Time resumed walking. "It wasn't here when we first arrived…"

"He perhaps caught a whiff of my scent as I spurred Epalon back to the river, then followed me to the waterfall…though I know not how he entered."

"He howls," Link finished for him. "You were speaking with Darunia at the time, so you never heard him mimic the Bolero of Fire." He leapt off a miniature waterfall, falling into the strong current of the stream and allowing himself to be carried the final length of the River. The Hero of Twilight followed suit, dropping off the second small waterfall.

The Hylian Hero joined Link on the shore once again, both of them mounting their waiting steeds. "Pleasant. Disregarding the beast, what have you decided to do now? Where have you set your heart on traveling?"

His questioning triggered a response Link didn't want to feel. Though he had been doing his best to ignore the emotions, he found himself nudging Epona's sides, spurring her forward and leaving his friend and his fairy in the dust without another word.

I want the nightmare to never happen, Link thought.

He was heading north.

"Link!" the Hero of Twilight called after him, his voice echoed by Navi.

"We have to get to Lake Hylia!" she added. "Where are you going, Link?" She zipped over to her Hylian, somehow managing to keep up with Epona and even overtaking the mare so she could land on the Hero of Time's shoulder. "What's…what's wrong?"

"I have Sheik's words in my head, Navi, and you know what I've decided?" Link asked, nudging Epona again and encouraging her to run faster.

"What?" she asked, somewhat fearfully.

"I don't want to see my reflection."

The Hero of Twilight was doing his best to catch up to them, even though Epalon wasn't as speedy as Epona. He was faring pretty well though, managing to ride within earshot, and therefore able to join the conversation; "Might I inquire what that means?"

Link reined Epona to a halt in front of Hyrule Castle, leaping off his mount and staring at the ruinous remains of the drawbridge that was now flooded. He looked up at the city wall's exterior, aware that his face was washed in the shadows and darkness that engulfed the entirety of Castle Town.

I hate seeing Hyrule this way…he thought.

"Link, we have to break the curse on Zora's Domain by defeating the monsters within the Water Temple!" Navi insisted as he marched toward the flooded bridge.

"Where are you going?" the Hero of Twilight inquired.

Link slowed his pace before coming to a complete stop at the edge. He then rounded on his two companions, causing them to cease their approach. "I've had enough. I've seen too much of this… Everywhere I turn, hoping to find even one thing that remains of the world I once knew, all I perceive is suffering."

"So you're just going to run away?" Navi demanded. "Link, I know you're better than this! You know you're better than this. The problem will never be fixed if you just abandon it!"

"I'm not abandoning it. I would never dream of leaving this world in its torment, especially since I am ultimately the reason it has fallen into this despair."

"Then why are you departing?" the Hero of Twilight asked. "If you acquired a means to save the Zoras, why are you not utilizing this?"

"We have to keep going," Navi insisted. "We have to save the Zoras and rescue the Sages before it's too late. It's the only chance we have."

"I know you're eager to continue the quest, to save Hyrule from all the ruin Ganondorf has reduced it to, free it from the turmoil and rescue it from the havoc. But is there even anything left of Hyrule to save?" Link asked them. "A few desperate people, hoping against hope that the goddesses have provided a Hero. And I know that if we don't hurry, not even they will be left…"

"Link…" Navi whispered.

"I've seen my own home, overrun with monsters…and every one of my former friends believes me dead—or at the very least, a traitor. The sole exception is my very best friend, a Sage, and even she has admitted that we cannot be in the same world anymore. I've seen an entire race locked away, and had we not rescued them sooner, they would have been devoured; these same people who were going to starve to death when I was a child, were now going to be eaten since I have become an adult! Their city would surely have turned to rubble, vacant forever, and the dragon they fought so hard to contain would run rampant through the wasteland of Hyrule!

"And I chased a princess to ask her for a stone, witnessing the beauty of Zora's Domain and speaking to all of its citizens on my way. Now their lord is gone, their king has scarcely been thawed, their princess is missing, and those very citizens are locked in icy stasis because of a curse. Even their precious lake has been drained…"

Neither of his companions added anything, so Link continued. "Every soldier is gone, either hiding in the farthest corners of Hyrule or lying dead somewhere. The Castle they protected so dedicatedly has been ripped out of the earth, a floating island of bloody destruction with no way to access it. And I ran through the streets of Castle Town as a child, chasing Cuccos, retrieving dogs, bowling, exploring, masquerading, and speaking to everyone I encountered. Now the only whispers that remain are the cries of the dead, the howl of the wind, and the growls of the monsters that inhabit those streets. Every beam has been reduced to ash, every structure a pile of cinders and crumbled stone."

Link looked between the pair. "As a child, I faced challenges and trials beyond what I thought myself capable of overcoming, but I was willing to become whatever Hyrule needed. I had a strong sense of justice, an urge to protect and defend and save, no matter what it did to me. I didn't care if I was weak, I didn't mind if some challenges were just too much for me to bear. I drew the Master Sword, ready to do whatever it took to save the world from a single man with a great evil in his heart.

"But I wasn't ready at all. I was locked in the Temple of Time for seven years, until I could grow up and become worthy of the Master Sword. And yet I can't help but wonder if it was my age the sword chose to alter, or my mind. I may have aged seven years, but I haven't matured at all. And now the challenges are harder, the tasks more complicated. The goddesses knew I couldn't do it, even after seven years. So they sent you, Link, an older companion who has seen Hyrule afflicted before and saved it."

"But you've faced every challenge bravely, with great courage," Navi persisted. "You've traveled alone and with minimal help from Link. I don't believe he was meant to replace you. He was meant to assist!"

"And I will lend you every ounce of my strength on your quest," the Hero of Twilight affirmed.

"So please…" Navi trailed off.

Link studied her, then the Hero of Twilight, and looked back to her. "You don't understand how hard it is…to look at a world you saved so long ago, and know that it has become a wasteland because of your own actions. I've struggled to see it like this, done my best to handle it and ignore those insignificant thoughts that plagued me. But Navi, I have now seen every location I traveled to as a child reduced to utter ruin, a shred of their former magnificence."

Link turned to the other Hero. "I know you've overcome many things, been strong for everyone that needed you. But I'm not you. I want to save the world, with everything I am, which is why it's killing me to look at the destruction that remains of it, and know that's all that remains. I promise to rescue and restore it, but I am only a child. And, if even once more, I would like to become a child again, to return home to my own time and remember the world I unknowingly would be leaving behind."

The pair remained silent.

"So," Link proceeded, "if you could find it in your hearts to allow me just one selfish request, then I implore you both to allow me to return home…back to my own time. If just once…"

Navi tentatively glided over to her Hylian, hesitating long enough for him to hold out his hands to catch her. "We could go back a thousand times, Link. To see Hyrule in its former glory, to remind ourselves what exactly we adventure for. No matter the choices you make, no matter what you do, I am your guide and your companion, and I will never abandon you. Any time you want to be a child again, I'll go with you. And when you're ready to return to the present, I'll be there."

Link was so touched by her words that he didn't notice the Hero of Twilight's movement, and consequently flinched when the other Hero rested a hand on his shoulder.

The Hylian Hero smiled softly. "I promise not to abandon you either."

Link looked between the fairy in his palms and the Hero in front of him, before he finally allowed himself to smile.

"Let's go home," he agreed. He felt his friend's hand slip away from his shoulder, and the pair began to walk. The Hero of Twilight whipped out Saria's Ocarina and played the Sun's Song for them as they trekked through the city's entrance and into the courtyard. Navi fluttered out of Link's grasp as they walked, but immediately landed on his left shoulder instead to reassure him that she would be with him no matter what. The trio passed by the frozen Redeads, marching up the stairs leading to the Temple of Time and maintaining a steady pace as they departed.

Neither one of his companions dared say anything, even as the minutes slipped by, so Link spoke up to lighten the mood as they entered the Temple. "I'm getting excited," he confessed, proof of his statement evident in his pitch.

"Indeed, as am I," the Hero of Twilight agreed, his voice echoing across the massive walls.

"What did you look like as a kid, Link?" the Hero of Time inquired.

"My hair was longer, and I was small. Those are, perhaps, the only differences."

"We'll just have to find out, now won't we?" Link approached the dais where the Master Sword once rested, pulling the blade from its sheath to return it almost too eagerly. He cast a glance at the weapon, a split second of hesitation claiming him. He didn't let it win, and instead held the tool with the point toward the pedestal, bringing it down with all his strength.

The sword sunk into the stone, and a ring of blue light shot forth from the sides of the dais almost instantaneously. The Hero of Twilight scooted a bit closer to Link as the shine grew brighter and taller, the glow extending towards the sky and increasing speed significantly. The Hero of Time remained exactly where he was, kneeling with his eyes closed and his hands resting on his hilt. His heart was racing like the flecks in the wall of blue, and the world was engulfed in a blinding white.

Then, there was nothing. No rushing sound, no vibrant blue, no overwhelming white.

Link opened his eyes, hands still holding onto the hilt of his blade. He was aware that he was now standing, and he could see a gold bracelet on his wrist. His sword and shield felt heavy on his back, and his entire outfit seemed just a bit big for him. Instantly, he released his weapon and jumped down from the pedestal, looking around wildly. He turned in a circle, trying to get a good look at himself, but the expression on the Hero of Twilight's face was enough to tell him that it had worked.

Link had gone seven years back in time.

. . . . .

A/N: (Back to theorizing…) Anyone else think of the Heart Containers/Pieces kind of like a curse? I mean, at the start of the game you have three hearts, and you only hear the beeping at like one heart to tell you Link's dying. But by the end of the game, with twenty hearts, once you drop down to three hearts it'll start beeping. And it's not like the enemies have gotten stronger or anything: this is literally the same life count you had at the beginning, and now it's bad for you? Who knows, maybe Link secretly develops a dependency on the Heart Containers and gets weaker the longer he has them?

I mention this because I always write weird stuff about the Heart Containers/Pieces, like that they crack and turn black when he loses health (we never really see what happens to them, so you can't prove me wrong…probably). Besides, I kinda wanna say that when the Hero dies, his Heart Containers that he assembled fragment into Pieces again and scatter across Hyrule, and then when the little villains find them, they reassemble them and present them to the dungeon bosses. Which is why those guys always have Heart Containers. I don't actually know if there's any information about that sneaky health bar, but hey, it's just a thought.