Chapter 16

"Well, boy, you're harder to kill than an angry keese," said Scarlett. They were in one of the larger chambers that branched off from the massive valley of the Goron Quarry. This room housed a kind of mineral spa which the Gorons were fond of, but one of the pools of earthy water contained icy crystal liquid that was wholesome for Hylians and horses to drink. They brought the two horses they had left to come and water up.

Toro and Doro had not left Link's side since the boy had come to.

"Woah, look Doro, he's got the green tunic and everything," said Toro, "Just like in all of dad's stories. He's a little short, but so what?"

"Is it true, Mr. Hylian?" said Doro, "Are you really him? The Legendary Hero?"

Link had protested that he was not the legendary anything, but the two young Gorons didn't seem to pay him any mind. The truth was that Link still felt awful for what had happened in Kakariko village that morning, and wasn't feeling very heroic at all. Zelda had been thrilled to see him again, but that thrill had quickly faded to annoyance when he recounted his story of how he had been saved.

"She called herself the Great Fairy of Magic," Link had said, "I think she may have had another name, but it's hard to remember. The whole thing feels like a blur. All I remember is feeling really light, like I was floating. Then she kissed me and I woke up in Zelda's arms."

"She kissed you?" said Zelda.

"The Great Fairies," said Zig, his arms crossed and head bowed in stoic recognition, "The legends of them are older than time. The fairies are the immortal children of the three Golden Goddesses of creation. Long ago, when the world was first born, the goddesses created the fairies to be the keepers of the balance of magic in all of Hylia. Just as the three golden races, the Zora, the Gorons and the Deku were created to balance nature. The choirs of the fairies have always been heavily connected with the major events of Hylian history. All the major cataclysms were averted in part thanks to the watchful eye of the fairies. But, usually they choose to remain invisible to mortals, only revealing themselves to special people, and under strange circumstances."

"Why did she kiss you?" said Zelda.

"Well, one thing seems clear to me," said Scarlett, "There's far more to our little green whelp here than we originally suspected. Clearly you're the only real threat to Nyarlath we have, boy, and we're going to use that to our advantage. We're going to drive you right into the heart of Nyarlath's men like a spike, and they won't know what hit them."

"What do you have in mind, Captain?" said Gwen.

"Well," said Scarlett, "The boy here seems far more capable of defending himself in the world of dreams, by whatever means he has at his disposal there. The only problem thus far has been that when he goes there his little runty body stays here in the Waking World, vulnerable and sometimes altogether un-protected. Now that we know his little secret though, we can approach this thing from another angle. Once we're inside the temple, the boy goes to sleep. Then, Zig straps the kid to his back, and we keep him alive while he does whatever needs to be done inside. Working together like that, and already knowing what it is that we're dealing with, we should be able to stand up to whatever Nyarlath throws our way."

"Well, Link," said Zig, "What do you say? Does that plan sound good to you? It's your life at risk, so it's only right that you should have a say in what happens."

"I can handle it," said Link, enthusiastically.

"This could actually work," said Gwen.

"I still cannot believe it," said Zelda. She got up from her seat and left the room, leaving the rest of them in awkward silence. Gwen nudged Link's arm, gently.

"Go on, boy," said Gwen, "Don't just stand there looking stupid."

"What?" asked Link, his eyes flitting from the empty doorway Zelda had just left through back to Gwen. Slow understanding crept up on the boy, and he was on his feet. "Oh! Right."

He headed outside. The Princess was standing with her back to him, tapping her foot nervously, and crossing her arms in the manner of an angry, pouting teenage girl.

"What's the matter, Zelda?" said Link.

"What is the matter?" said Zelda, "What is the matter? I shall tell you what is the matter, Link: I have been stuck here with these bickering pirates for hours, crying my eyes out because I thought you were dead and I would never see you again, and come to find out that you've been off… off… making kissy faces at blue women in magic fountains!"

"Zelda, I don't understand," said Link, reaching out to touch the girl on the shoulder. She turned away from his hand, coldly.

"Of course you cannot understand," said Zelda, "You are too good, Link. You never think the worst of someone, no matter what they do. How can I expect any different from someone like you? You stay so strong through all of this, and I do not know how. The worst part of it is that I do not think that any one of us is strong enough to do this without you. I cannot allow myself to depend on anyone like that though. I have to be strong enough to handle things on my own."

"Zelda, what are you talking about?" said Link, "I'm gonna be right here. I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay with you Zelda."

"But what if in the end you cannot?" she said, turning to face him. Her blue eyes were welled up with tears once again, and as always it pained him to see the girl cry.

"You kids kiss and make up yet?" said Scarlett, emerging from the mineral spring chamber, "Best if you eat some rations and get your gear together. The little pebbles are going to show us where they think Nyarlath may have had the Gorons brought to."

Zelda walked away from Link wordlessly, disappearing back into the mineral spring chamber. Scarlett was chewing on a piece of Jerky, which she tore a bite away from before handing the rest over to Link.

"Don't sweat it, kid;" said Scarlett, "There are few things as fickle as the heart of a teenage girl. Take it from this old pirate, who used to be one herself, some considerable years ago. It isn't worth worrying over. She'll come back around as soon as she realizes that it isn't you that she's mad at."

Scarlett clapped Link on the shoulder a little too roughly, and then ruffled his hair a bit through his green sock cap. Scarlett made a less than convincing motherly figure, but Link was glad for the effort just the same. It was unnerving, seeing Zelda turn away from him like that. For weeks now he had grown to think of her as his only friend. Now she seemed to be uninterested in even talking to him, and he had no idea what it was he had done wrong.

He stared at the jerky for one hard moment until finally biting it and tearing a chunk away. He chewed the dry and salty piece of meat with an open mouth as he mulled over the complicated idiosyncrasies of teenage girls.

Within the hour they were descending the steppes of the Goron quarry one at a time, using their hookshots to cheat from one level to the next wherever a sturdy block of wood or piece of mining equipment provided a good surface for the little grapples to catch hold of. The two young Gorons made a game of it, simply balling up and rolling from one level to the next to keep up with their Hylian escorts.

"Dad never lets us roll down the quarry," said Toro, happily. Then he nervously added, "Please, don't tell him…"

Zelda had elected to stop talking to Link altogether it seemed. Several times he offered the princess his arm when traveling by hookshot, but time and again the girl elected Zig to carry her without so much as a reply to Link's enquiry.

"Where are we going, anyway?" said Zelda, eventually. They were nearly back to the bottom of the quarry, near the place where Link had come drifting from the sky mere hours ago. The sun was setting in the west over the mountains, and soon the already shadowy quarry would be dark as pitch and they would need to light lanterns in order to navigate its slopes. They had spent much time climbing back up to the horses, but the group had decided it would be unwise to leave such plain evidence of their presence in the mine, should any of Nyarlath's forces come snooping.

"Those Goron kids seem to think the temple is somewhere beneath the mines," said Zig, "The Captain has elected to investigate, since we have no other leads and no one else to ask for directions."

"What?" said Zelda, "Does Scarlett realize what she is doing? Those poor kids think that this is all some kind of fairy tale. They just think the Gorons got taken to some temple under the mountain because that is what happened in their father's bedtime story. There is probably a chapel or something down there and when we find it we probably will not find any Gorons or any sign of Nyarlath."

"Sure of that, are ye, Princess?" Zelda had been unaware of Scarlett behind her. She shivered as the pirate slipped past her, her shoulder brushing Zelda's with challenging intent. "I wouldn't be, if I were you. After all, the little speed bumps were right about your handsome young lad falling out of the sky like a great, glowing lump of idiot. There's an old Shiekah saying, Princess: There's always a bit of truth to every legend, no matter how absurd. It would do you some good to take that to heart."

Zelda looked over at Link. He was talking to Toro and Doro about rolling down the quarry.

"Wow, you guys are good at that!" said Link, "I wanna try."

"It's easy, you just roll when you hit the ground," said Toro. Then the little rock boy leapt over the edge and did a spectacular somersault, bouncing and skidding on the dirt like a rolled tire. He sprang to his feet just before the next ledge, turning and bowing with a flourish before giggling and throwing Link and thumbs up.

"Okay, I think I get it!" said Link. The boy leapt from the ledge. "Ita- ow! Ow! Ow!"

Zelda shook her head. Link was the bravest and most trusting person she had ever met, and he had saved them on numerous occasions from things she could hardly comprehend, but the idea that he was a Legendary Hero seemed impossible. He was just an innocent boy, and despite how much rested on his shoulders it was unfair of any of them to ask so much of him. Whatever her burdens were and whatever Scarlett's may be, it was Link who was being made to carry all of them. The promise she had asked of him had been silly, and she now burned with regret to make him take it back. She cursed herself for being so inconsistent, but as much as she had longed to see the boy again, now that he was back all she could think was that soon something would come along again and take him away from her once more, and then she would have to suffer all over again. She wondered if it wouldn't have been easier if none of them had ever made it out of Hyrule Castle in the first place.

At the bottom of the quarry, the two young Gorons led them along the stone walls towards the end which tunneled deepest into the heart of the mountain. They were forced to light the lanterns they'd brought with them, and they held the little flames close to them as they listened to the evil wind howling past the mouth of the enormous Goron mine. Up ahead, a stone archway big enough to fly the Stalfos through yawned around them. They passed under it in careful silence, their footfalls echoing off the curves of the distant, rocky walls.

The interior of the massive cavern was like a vibrant city. Suddenly, there were lights everywhere in the darkness, twinkling from the gloom, like stars in the midnight sky. As their eyes focused on the gloom, they could see that each of the hundred-thousand lanterns illuminated the mouth of another tunnel, making the walls of the huge, egg-shaped chamber into a honeycomb of crisscrossing caverns and causeways. Mine cart tracks were under their feet now, and it was apparent that they had left the rock quarry and ventured into the proper mining halls. Usually, this spot would be clamoring with the ring of Goron picks and hammers, wearing away the ancient rock in search of every kind of ore and gem that could be found. The pit of the mountain remained silent however, the oppressive emptiness consummate in the cosmic dark of the star-speckled cave.

They crept along the cold and stony floor of the cavern, a moving procession of slow-drifting comets in the spangled void of inner-space that was the mountain's heart. The young Gorons seemed to know exactly where they were headed, as they led the group suddenly to the side, and chose one of the countless caves to travel down. Now the ceiling curved lower over their head, a mere twelve feet up compared to the several hundred which the central cavern had boasted. Their lanterns were more effective here, and they relaxed a bit at their ability to watch all sides in the smaller and more manageable passageway.

"Excuse, me Toro," said Zelda, coming up alongside their stony little leader, "Where are you taking us exactly?"

"The Mural Hall," said the little Goron, "Gorbu says it's the most sacred place in the entire mine. Usually outsiders aren't allowed to go there, but since you guys have the Legendary Hero with you I'm sure it will be alright."

"Have you been there before?" asked Zelda.

"Oh sure, lots of times," said Toro.

"Yeah," agreed Doro, "That's where all the stories dad tells us are. They're painted on the walls. Gorbu says they've been there since long before this was a mine, back when Gorons still lived in Death Mountain."

"How has old Gorbu been, anyway?" said Zelda, "He and my father are close friends, but I haven't seen him in… well, it's been at least two years now."

"He's grumpy," said Doro.

"I'll say!" added Toro, "He's always stomping around with a big frown on his face. But dad says that's cause being Patriarch is really hard. He says that Gorbu is only mad cause he's worried about poly-ticks, but I don't get it. We're Gorons, ticks can't even bite us."

"No, Toro," said Doro, "Remember what dad said? Poly-ticks aren't bugs. It means when grown-ups argue about rupees."

"I don't see what the fuss is about rupees, either," said Toro, "They don't even taste good. Who needs rupees when you have fresh quarts and crunchy diamonds?"

"How much farther is this Mural Hall of yours?" said Scarlett.

"Oh, it isn't far," replied Toro, "It should be right here, just around the next corner."

They emerged into an ancient cavern of stunning height and enigmatic carving. The ceiling was a high and cragged blanket of hanging stalactites. In places the growing stalactites went all the way to meet their inverted counterparts in marvelous natural pillars, and among these were more gargantuan examples which had been carved into stunning shapes without ever being wholly removed from their natural locations. The walls were smoothed from the ground level up to about fifteen feet, and round and about the huge natural alcoves of the cave were painted colorful murals of geometric, tribal design. Torches burned with eternal flames from brackets on the wall, and though this place was doubtless miles into the core of the deep, dark mountain, it seemed that light had not left this place in years unfathomable.

"Wow!" said Link, his voice echoing off the walls.

"This is beautiful," said Zelda.

"No sign of any Gorons though," said Scarlett, sternly, "So, little twerps, tell us: where do you suppose they would be keeping your kin down here?"

"Well," said Toro, "Dad always said that there's a Goron temple under every mountain. Some of the other kids told us that Gorbu has a secret tunnel somewhere in the Mural Hall, but we don't know where."

"Well, Scarlett, there it is. Your wonderful lead, followed up on," said Zelda, "What do we do now?"

"You're right, Princess," said Scarlett, catching Zelda off guard. For a moment the princess thought that the pirate had actually seen the error of her thinking, following the two young Gorons into the mine based on a bedtime story.

"We had better get searching," said Scarlett, traipsing past Zelda on clicking boots. The Princess balled her fists in frustration, and crossed her arms. The stubbornness of the pirate was unbelievable. She calmed herself down. It was no matter. In moments Scarlett would see that there was nothing in the cave, and then perhaps they could come up with some way to find the Temple of the Heart without endangering the lives of two adolescent Gorons.

As they stepped further into the cavern, Link couldn't help but notice the intricate figures painted on the walls. They stared at him from the cold walls, watching him with eyes older than history.

"What do all these pictures mean?"

"These are all the important stories we Gorons have written down since the beginning of time," said Toro, "See, this one is about the Sacred Power."

The little Goron hobbled over to a picture of a bunch of different people with the heads of animals bowing to an altar of glittering gold. Atop the altar, a trio of golden triangles was floating in the air, one stacked on the tips of the other two to form a larger pyramid.

"The Sacred Power is where all the forces of nature come from. The triangle on the top is for power and strength. That one belongs to Din, the one who made Gorons and who made all the rocks and dirt that makes up the whole world! Dad always said that Din is the most important to the Gorons, but we shouldn't forget the other two goddesses either."

"Yeah," agreed Doro, "Dad always says, 'That's why Din's triangle sits atop the other two.' He says, 'Power is important, but it can't stand up without Wisdom and Courage beneath it.'"

"Your dad is a wise man," said Scarlett.

They went on to the next alcove, where three golden beings were depicted, shining a golden light onto the figure of a woman in white. The woman held a sword in one hand and a harp in the other, and her wild blond hair and pointed ears reminded Link of Zelda.

"That's Hylia," said Toro, "She's the child of the Golden Goddesses, and the spirit of the world. Dad said that a really long time ago, further back than anyone can count, that all the people and the goddesses and everyone lived happily together, and that Hylia was queen of the world! Then the dark times came, and the world changed, and now Hylia can't be with her people all the time. It makes her very sad, but she still finds a way to look after us."

"The Royal Family is said to be descended from Hylia," said Zig, "She would be your great, great, great, great grandmother, Zelda."

"I think you left out a few greats," said Scarlett, wryly.

"You hear that, Link?" said Gwen, "Our little Zelda is a goddess. But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Gwen glanced sidelong at the boy, expecting to get a rise out of him, but Link was not listening. The group turned to regard the boy, who had taken a few steps farther into the cave, and was staring up at another mural nearby, his little lantern held up over his head. He said nothing.

"Link?" said Zelda, "Link, what's wrong?"

She came to stand beside the boy, but what she saw made her gasp. They all gathered around. It was a marvel to behold.

There on the wall was painted another figure, triumphant and tall. In one hand it clutched the golden triangles, and in the other it held a shimmering sword aloft, its blade pointed into the sky. More remarkable than anything else about this figure though was the way it was dressed: forest green tunic and cap, brown boots and blue eyes, hair blond like windswept grain. It was the spitting image of Link, and no one could deny it.

"See?" said Toro, "We told you. He's the Legendary Hero alright. There's no mistaking that outfit."

Zelda looked from the mural to Link and back again. What could it possibly mean? There was no room for heroes in a world so bleak and imposing. Things were not as simple as that. Yet here was this boy standing before her, this boy who had time and again done impossible things and contested impossible powers which she could not have fathomed facing on her own. Now his picture was here, on this age old stone which had stood at the heart of the timeless mountain for eons before they had set foot inside it. Could it be coincidence? Certainly there were many green caps and tunics in the world. Yet somehow as she watched Link standing there in the flickering light of their lanterns she could not help but feel as though he had stepped right off that cave wall, a fairytale hero who shone like a beacon of purest light in the stifling darkness of the world around him.

"Come on," said Scarlett, turning away from the mural, "We don't need a cave painting to let us know that Golden Boy here is special. Let's get a move on."

Link and Zelda remained a moment longer, staring at the painting in silence.

"Link," said Zelda. The boy turned to look at her, his face an unreadable mask, and his blue eyes dark and serious.

"I'm sorry, Link," said Zelda before touching him softly on the shoulder and walking away.

The boy remained, his eyes locked on the doppelganger painted on the wall before him. It made him feel incredibly tiny and inadequate. He was no hero. He was only a child. He had risked a lot for Zelda's sake, and that had been fine… he had done things not because he was the best one suited to do them, but rather because he was the only one around to make the effort. Now there was this glaring expectation, and it felt as though a thousand generations of people he would never meet were depending on him. He couldn't even get through Kakariko village without screwing things up and nearly killing everyone! And what about the Zoras, how had he helped them? They certainly weren't saved, lying on the floor of Lake Terminia, dead and rotting. He was glad to have met Zelda and Zig and Kef and Gwen, but no one had ever asked him if he wanted to be a hero. It didn't seem fare. He didn't know if he could handle failing, and knowing that everything that Nyarlath did was all his fault.

"Link, help!"

He had been so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed the group leaving him behind. He whirled around, lantern in hand to peer farther into the open cave. Down the way, he could see figures struggling by the flickering light of the cavern torches, but he couldn't discern who was who. He went running towards the commotion, cursing the fact that he had no weapon.

Scarlett, Gwen and Zig were crossing swords with a group of Lizalfos which had struck suddenly from the shadows of the cave ceiling. Suddenly there were a dozen of the beasts, their jaws hissing and snapping viciously. They rushed them two at a time for each pirate, lashing out with lightning strikes from long, curved swords of angry black obsidian. The pirates were fighting valiantly, but they were outnumbered, and the open cavern allowed for the creatures to flank them. If the fight went on this way, they would never make it.

Link scrambled for a rock on the cave floor. He found one of decent size and chucked it into the tumult of lizard bodies. He struck one of the creatures, square in the jaw, and the thing rounded on him with a draconic shriek. Four of the attackers broke away from the crowd and came running at him.

Link turned tail and ran, leading the advancing Lizalfos in figure eights around the round columns and jagged stalactites. He wanted to turn and fight them, but it was impossible with no weapon, he'd be flayed alive. He rounded a corner and came face to face with one of the lizard-men. The monster swung his sword, but Link was quick and limber, and somersaulted under the blade, hitting his feet running on the other side. He made a mad dash back toward the group, where the pirates were still fighting the rest of the monsters, although they were steadily being backed into a corner.

They had made a wall of themselves between the advancing attackers and Zelda, but they could not hold the line forever. Link would have to think of something fast.

The Lizalfos which pursued him were gaining again, and Link found himself struggling for avenues of escape as the lizard-men began to grow wise to his trickery and fan themselves out amongst the stones rather than chasing him in a determined beeline. Link made for an alcove of statues which was set into the curve of a nearby wall, but he was dismayed to find himself trapped in a dead-end. Evil, frowning statues were crowded behind him, clutching pointed swords of stone. Before him, the Lizalfos were advancing, pressing his back to the cavern wall. In moments he would be skewered by their angry blades, and then the world would see what kind of hero Link really was.

"Legendary Hero, catch!" said a tiny voice from the shadows to his left. Toro was there, and in his hands he clutched a blade with amber handle and ruby set in its cross guard. He threw the little short sword to Link, and the boy caught it deftly in his left hand.

Link's eyes narrowed. He suddenly didn't feel like giving up so soon.

"Hyaaaaaat!"

The boy leapt forward and met the first attacker with a powerful stroke. Their blades crossed with flashing sparks in the dark cavern, the metal cling of steel and obsidian echoing through the hall. Link parried, hopped to the side and dove forward to thrust the blade into the lizard's gut. It squeaked pitifully.

Two more Lizalfos advanced on the boy, but he swung his sword with fury and precision. A cut and then a pommel strike to the lizard's nose, then a backflip and cross slash to cleave the beast across the chest. He was in a rhythm now, and all his frustration about the haunting murals was coming to a head and bursting to release with his deft swipes.

He cut down all four of them as if they had been paper dolls before charging to his friends with a ringing battle cry.

The Lizalfos which were bearing down upon Zelda and the others were surprised to be attacked suddenly from their flank. Link leapt forward, bringing his sword down in a hammer swing, and cleaving one of the reptile's tails clean off. The injured monster fell to the floor, squealing. Right away, the seven that remained turned to encircle him, but this gave the pirates leeway to rejoin the fight.

Gwen and Scarlett advanced with cutlasses flashing while Zig fell back to guard Zelda from the turmoil of battle. They pushed the lizards back, but there was nowhere for them to go but closer to Link.

The boy was flaying another beast with lightning quickness, dancing from foot to foot and twirling his blade like an expert swordsman. He didn't even think as he let the blade swing this way and that, allowing his fury and his passion to consume him. He didn't need to be a hero to save his friends! He would save them because it was the right thing to do!

Four of the remaining Lizalfos were closing in from all sides, and they moved to strike at once from every angle. Link swung his sword behind him, knocking away the nearest threatening blade, and then he felt an automatic sensation compelling him to bring it back around full circle. Winding up like the key on a clockwork toy, Link could feel all his energy channeling into the little sword, and he let himself explode like a spinning top. The boy whirled around on his heel, feeling the centrifugal force of all his weight go bursting from the tip of his sword like a volcanic eruption. Blinding blue flames came seething from the edges of his sword, and in one three-hundred-sixty degree spin he felled the lot of them like tufts of standing grass.

The pirates, who had already dispatched the remaining creatures, were staring at the boy in awe. He was catching his breath, holding the sword out to his side and regarding the blade in likewise wonder. Where had all that power come from? Toro and Doro came creeping from the shadows, smiles on their flat faces.

"See?" said Toro, "That sword once belonged to the Legendary Hero! It's a special sword, made by the forest spirits a long time ago."

"Yeah, and look at him holding it!" said Doro, "He looks just like him. You can't fool us anymore, Mr. Link. We know it's you. You've come to save the Gorons again, haven't you?"

Scarlett chuckled.

"Well, Princess, there you have it," said the pirate, taking a step forward and holding out her palm to serve Link up to the group of them on a silver platter, "There's your bedtime story, and it looks like we're the bit players. Do you still think it's time to turn around and go home?"

Zelda and Link were looking at each other. The boy was still panting from the effort of the fight, but to her he really did look different with that sword in his hands, and the fallen Lizalfos collapsed in a lifeless heap at his feet. She almost believed it, she almost really believed he was the Legendary Hero the Goron children said he was.

"No," said Zelda, and then she smiled at the boy, "No, I don't."

Link returned the smile, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his right hand. He still didn't fancy himself a legendary anything, but it was good to see the princess smiling at him again. He gripped the sword tight in his left hand, and the extension it provided him felt natural and comforting. Little by little, the weight of the strange Goron paintings seemed to melt away from him, and he began to feel silly that had ever worried what a mural had to say about him in the first place.

Hero or child, by prophecy or random chance, he was by Zelda's side, and they both were better for it.