Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, or characters of these games including Link, the Kokiri, keatons, wolfos, Hyrule, Termina, et cetera. This story has been written for the fun of it, not for the sake of money.
Identities and personas of the characters such as Trey, Shadow, White Foot, Twiggy, Blaze, et cetera are all figments of my imagination.

Author's Notes: Ugh, another long delay between chapters. I'm tired of apologizing, as everyone should be considerate with the fact that we all have real lives to attend to. This site does not control me, you know?
In any case, it's always great to be writing more of this. I get so inspired, as this has been one of my very successful attempts at fanfiction. It will come to a close soon, however—maybe three or four more chapters to go. Also, the pace in this chapter may be a little...eh, choppy? I hope not, but there are a lot of scene breaks. Perhaps I should try to organize the information into more chapters, rather than stuffing it into one. Heh, ah well. This story was written for fun--it's not like I will publish it. Other than this, there are no other comments I have to make regarding this chapter in particular.

-oOoOo-

Wolfos in Sheep's Clothing
-
Chapter Eleven: And So It Begins

-oOoOo-

The fireplace in the living area of Malon's home still sparked and popped with dancing flames by late that evening. Although slowly dying out, it still emitted warmth and comfort to the surrounding area, and Trey and Lady instantly took this opportunity to lie in front of the grate, curling up and falling fast asleep to the rhythm of the fire. Trey, still looking deprived from the earlier encounter outside, felt his eyelids droop heavily from lack of comfort and sleep. He forced himself to remain awake, however, because he was still concerned for Link, his long-lost friend.

In the light of the cottage, Trey had made out the "Hylian cub" much more clearly than he had before outside. It was a wonder that the keaton could even tell who Link still was, for he had changed quite a bit since the past seven years. Tall and muscular, Link had definitely lost most of his childish features, and had developed more sophisticated ones. His voice, too, had been one thing that the keaton still had to come to terms with. Instead of the energetic, carefree tone that he remembered so well when playing in the woods, Link had now acquired a voice much like Shadow's, or Blaze's; deeper and more profound. The thought of his old pack, something that had not crossed his mind in many years, found its way back to his conscious, and the keaton lay sleepily, rewinding past events.

It was tremendously hard for him to find a bit of food after his exile from the Lost Woods, he recalled drearily, feeling a tiny pang of hunger rumble in his stomach. Prey was not as plentiful as it had been in the woods, and with Hyrule Field lacking in trees or shrubbery, there was no where to stalk or hide in, much less for prey to hide in. For the longest of times he had wandered over the desolate area, keeping a close mind not to stray too close to Hylian settlements and pathways. Those murderous horror stories of the hate between Hylians and wolfos always hovered with him, a good piece of advice he had acquired from his past life.

It turned out, that over time, a band of stalchildren had settled in to the depths of Hyrule Field. At night, Trey found out, it was increasingly dangerous to roam around, as the chance of a stalchild attacking him was almost certain. Consequently, he would often have scratches or wounds from where a stalchild had injured him when his back was turned. What little birds or rodents were around Hyrule Field instantly disappeared after the stalchildren came to play, and with hardly any options left, the keaton decided it was time to visit the place where White Foot had always warned him never to go:

The Lon Lon Ranch.

Taking refuge in a Hylian settlement was not the first thing on the keaton's mind, and it quenched his pride as a wild, independent hunter every time he would be forced to steal a cucco just to suffice his growing huger pains. It was shameful, and he hated to think that he had become no more than a common thief depending on the carelessness of Hylian ranch-owners, but in order to stay alive, he had to take drastic actions, it seemed. Link had disappeared from his life, and Trey had constantly thought back to such happy days, and somewhere deep in his subconscious, he wished that the smiling, green-clothed cub would come bounding back to him, asking him if he wanted to play tag or hide-and-seek together. But it seemed that as time progressed, Trey would be nothing more than a distant memory. Link, the Hideaway, the wolfos pack, Sandy, Twiggy, White Foot…Every little recollection from his past life had been shut off inside of him, where he thought he would never see them again. That was, until, this faithful day when Link happened to return.

The keaton cocked an ear, suddenly alerted out of his drift of nostalgia. Voices were coming from another room close by, and the tones were clearly familiar. The deeper one was obviously Link's, and the other seemed to belong to that Hylian-female with the flame-coloured hair. Trey cocked both ears, however, to listen to the fluent conversation the two Hylian-humans were having.

"…So you're really going to leave tomorrow?" Malon was asking.

"Yes. I'm afraid I cannot stay too long. There is some…business I have to take care of." was Link's reply.

Malon sighed slightly. "It's the temples, isn't it?"

It was at this point Trey picked himself from the cosy position in which he was situated, and began to head towards the conversation. What was all this nonsense about 'leaving' and 'temples'? The curiosity was too great, and Trey poked his nose into the room where Link and the red-haired woman were sitting in.

Link ran a hand through his blonde bangs involuntarily, looking a bit tired and worried as he did so. "Exactly. I can't wait too long; Ganon's grip will become tighter and tighter as time goes on. I need to get this whole ordeal over with so that Hyrule will become peaceful again."

"And what of Hazel? Where will he be on your journey?"

Malon had brought up a somewhat touchy subject. Link, torn between the mind of his inner ten-year-old and the mature thinking of his older self, had not come to a decision on the matter. Reuniting with his long-lost keaton friend was not in the plan for saving Hyrule. Beforehand, Link's quest was going to be straightforward and simple: Go to every temple, defeat the boss, rescue the sages, defeat Ganondorf, and bring peace to Hyrule. Now with the addition of Hazel, a decision had to be made—one that might cause needed time to go by. "In some ways," Link started, thinking over the possibilities he had, "I would love to bring him with me. I haven't seen him in what seems like forever, but on the other hand, I can't just bring him along with me. There are too many dangers and threats for a keaton." He sighed. "And I can't leave him with you. That would be imposing. You have a ranch to build up, run, and maintain—especially with Ingo out of the way."

Malon smiled lopsidedly, too polite to admit that Link was correct, and that she did not want to necessarily feed and care for another animal.

"I'll sleep on it." He finally decided, standing up from his chair. "In the morning, I'll come to a decision."

Trey darted back to his spot by the fireplace when his sensitive ears picked up the sounds of Link's leather boots plodding loudly against the old wooden floors. Under no circumstances did he want to be caught eavesdropping. The door that had been slightly ajar—the same one that led into the room where and Link and his lady friend were chatting in—creaked open, and sure enough, out came Link with Malon following close behind. As Link walked past the hearth, he stopped to pet his loyal companion on the head, feeling the familiar memories of his childhood dawning back on him. He continued his walk though, to the other side of the home, where another door was located—the spare bedroom. Before he entered however, he turned around, smiling as he said his "good-nights" to both his friends.

Soon after, Malon headed upstairs to retire for the evening, leaving Trey alone in the living area; his only companions were Lady and the dying fire. The silver cat was curled neatly into a little ball of fur by the warmth of the flames, breathing slowly and contently as she slept. The keaton however was not so quick to fall asleep, unlike Lady; Link's conversation, and what he had heard from it, was gnawing at the back of his mind. When collided with the thoughts from his past, Trey couldn't help but feel restless. There was so much to think about, it seemed. Maybe he was a hindrance to Link and his friend.

With a clenched jaw, Trey rose from his comfortable position by the fireplace. If he was really such a nuisance, it was fruitless to stay uninvited. On silent paws he made his way out the front door, which had been left only slightly ajar.

-oOoOo-

The delicious scent of a home-cooked breakfast drifted throughout the house that following morning, and hung temptingly in the air. It was one of the best smells Link had woken up to since his journey began.

"'Morning, Link," greeted Malon as the blonde came out of his room, a prepared rucksack nonchalantly slung over his shoulder. She noticed this and stopped her cooking for a moment to inquire, "Leaving already?"

"If I leave now, I should make it to Kakariko by sundown." Link replied, the tantalizing smell of meat and eggs filling his senses.

Malon nodded slowly in understanding. "Well, before you go, make sure to eat something to boost your strength." She handed him a plate with breakfast, which Link took without question. As he began to eat away at the delicious meal, Malon again spoke to Link: "Oh, and what of Hazel? Have you come to your decision yet?"

Already nearly finished with his meal, Link paused, remembering what he had discussed with his friend last night. He swallowed. "Of course, Hazel! In fact, I have come to a decision: I believe I can manage having him around. I would assume that he wouldn't be too much trouble."

The ranch girl stood silently, nodding respectfully at Link's statement. While she might have chosen a more practical decision of letting the animal go, she did not say anything to argue with her friend. If that was his choice, then she would offer her moral support to him.

Link handed the plate back to Malon as he quickly readjusted his rucksack, smiling lopsidedly. "Thanks," He said, "By the way, where is Hazel? I haven't heard or seen him yet."

Malon halted what she was doing for a moment, pausing to think about this. Come to think of it, she had neither seen nor heard anything from the keaton. Lady had been up for hours, but there was not a trace of Hazel. She hesitated before replying, "I…I do not know, Link. Actually, it hadn't even crossed my mind until now. No, I have not seen Hazel anywhere. Are you sure he's not outside?"

"Good idea; I'll check." Link briskly said as he headed outside. Instantly he was greeted by the late summer's light, warm and inviting. Shielding his eyes with his gloved hand, Link began to search the surrounding area. "Hazel?" He called out. The horses in the corral flicked their ears at the sound of his voice as they paused at their grazing. "Hazel? Hazel, where are you?" He repeated himself, searching around the ranch for his friend.

Losing hope, he returned to the house after minutes of searching; he did not want to waste too much time, as he had to start heading towards Kakariko. Malon was finishing up breakfast and began to clean the dishes when Link entered, looking somewhat crestfallen. "No luck," he sighed, "I think he left last night."

Feeling sorry for her friend, Malon went to comfort Link. As she did this, Link spoke up again. "I can't dwell on it too much, though; there are still more important matters at hand," He shook his head sadly. "I need to leave now if I ever want to make it to Kakariko before dark."

Although she could sense the disappointment in his tone at yet again, losing Link's long-lost friend, Malon smiled softly, an amused glow sparkling lightly in her eyes. "I'll get Epona ready for you, then." Surprised at this, Link jolted for a moment out of his thoughts, and before he had time to inquire further, Malon had already headed towards the stables.

Within no time, the majestic chestnut mare that was Epona came trotting out proudly from the stables, fully ready for riding. The Triforce emblem on her saddle was one of the first little details Link had noticed as he approached her with awe. "You may keep her," Malon announced, gently handing the reigns over to Link, who merely stared wide-eyed at his friend. "You deserve it—you know, for getting rid of Ingo and everything."

"But—" Link began, but was stopped short by Malon.

"No, I will not argue with you. I insist you take her; I'll miss the both of you, but she is fond of you. And not only that—you two make a great team." Her eyes sparkled in the morning light, a small smile gracing her pink lips.

Link swung his legs over Epona, seating himself comfortably in the adorned saddle. He nodded slowly to Malon, grinning sadly at her. "Thank you for everything, Malon. I'll miss you too." He kicked the mare's sides, beginning to trot out of the ranch.

Malon waved to her friend as he left, although he could not see, and called out, "Good luck, Link!"

-oOoOo-

Trey had not known how long he had been resting for.

It had been many hours since he left the Lon Lon Ranch, he knew that by the position of the sun, but how long he had been resting for was a mystery to him. He had not bothered to check the time from when he had first started his break until the present, and he cared not. He wasn't too particularly worried about anything; stalchildren were not out at this time of day, for it was too bright for them, and there were no other predators to threaten him. With his head laid on his front paws, he relaxed himself and relished what little shade he could muster out of a dying tree. Although autumn was drawing near, the afternoon sun still rather warm, especially with a coat of fur.

The direction he travelled was none of his concern as well. He had wandered hopelessly, looking fruitlessly for anything to eat to suffice his hunger. Of course, there was nothing in this now-desolate plain. Silently he cursed the evil that had driven away fresh prey from Hyrule Field, as his hunger pains screamed from deep within him. He had neither the strength nor energy to keep his futile journey up, and with a dejected sigh, he sat mulling over his thoughts some more.

Finding Link was a miracle in and of itself, for it meant the possibility of being saved from his hunger and loneliness. However, this thought was merely a theory—a theory that sounded too good to be true. Twitching his left ear, Trey realized with a heavy heart that he should've known better to rest his life upon Link, someone he had seen for seven years. It was silly to have thought such fairytale-like scenarios.

He had been so caught up in his thoughts to have even heard the gentle thump of hooves against the ground. However, as the gradual crescendo of the sound caught Trey's ears, he lifted his head. He was near a path made by the humans; it was possible that there were travellers on their way to town. Paying little attention to the sound afterwards, he resumed his relaxed, sloth-like state. The hooves slowed down, though, and were replaced by the familiar thump of human feet.

The keaton remained unfazed. He had little strength to defend himself against a human attack, and if his time had come, then he accepted it. As the footsteps drew closer to him, Trey jolted upright when he heard the deep voice of someone he knew all too well: "Hazel, is that you?"

Nearly disbelieving his own acute hearing, Trey spun around, wide-eyed at the sight of Link, standing a ways away from a giant animal—a horse, as Trey recalled the name. The Hylian stood away from the keaton, maintaining his distance. Secure in his belief that this keaton was Hazel—after all, how many stray keatons roamed Hyrule Field?—Link took a step forward. "I've been looking for you! Are you okay? Why did you run away? Is something wrong?"

Trey continued to stare at his two-legged friend. Although his appearance had drastically changed since seven years ago, Link still, surprisingly, carried the vague tone of a child in his voice. Sometimes it was simple to pinpoint those times when Link maintained his child-like behaviourisms—from his concern, Link had sounded a little like himself from way back in the Lost Woods. Slightly baffled at how his friend could still act like the Link he had befriended, yet not have the same monstrous characteristics of grown Hylians that he had been informed so well about, Trey stood stock still, calculating Link and trying to make sense of it all.

The blonde continued to still approach Trey with caution, as he had not known what upset the keaton to the extent that he would run away. As Link came closer and still questioned the keaton with genuine worry, Trey's chocolate eyes softened as he realized that this concern was not superficial. Link knelt down to Trey's height and proceeded to pet the keaton in the way he had done when he was a child. "I wanted to find you," He started to explain, "So you could come along with me on my journey."

At this, Trey's black-tipped ears perked up in mild surprise. The hesitant, indecisive words from Link last night during the Hylians' conversation still echoed in his mind. Trey was sure that Link had not wanted him around, and that he would merely weigh him down. This statement had completely erased all of his previous thoughts. Realizing his mistake, Trey leaned his head forward and gave a quick apologetic lick to Link's face.

Grinning, Link scratched the keaton behind the ears, glad that things seemed to be patched up between the two of them. He rose to his feet slowly and began to head back towards Epona, Trey obediently at his heels. Before mounting his horse, Link said over his shoulder, "We're heading to Kakariko Village. It shouldn't be much longer until we reach the town; it'll be no later than dusk when we arrive." He was going to saddle his mare when one quick look at Trey made him hesitate in his action. The keaton was unmistakably thin and malnourished, as some of his ribs were visible underneath his thinning golden fur. There was no way for a creature in such a deprived state to compete with the speed and energy of a healthy mare; the keaton was going to tire himself out easily if he had to follow Epona's steps.

Link quickly calculated Trey's size and weight, then turned his attention to Epona's beautiful saddle. Many bags of various sizes were hanging loosely—they had not yet been filled with supplies and weaponry Link needed on his journey. The bags were not large enough to accommodate a creature of Trey's proportions, but quickly improvising, Link figured out a temporary method to make sure his friend would be safe in the journey to Kakariko. Using some spare cloth he had in another saddle bag, the Hylian made a makeshift sling with the fabric hanging from Epona's saddle.

Link tied the knots securely, and then turned his attention back to Trey. "This'll do for now, I suppose." He said, "I don't think you can keep up with Epona at this point, so maybe you can sit tight in the sling until we figure something else out."

Thankful that Link had taken into account his dilapidated state, Trey barked gratefully to Link. He was picked up and placed in the sling, balancing his weight to make sure he wouldn't slip out. The Hero of Time then mounted Epona, and with a quick kick, they were off trotting at a good pace. "Hang on, Hazel," Link called out, "We'll be there soon."

-oOoOo-

The town of Kakariko looked more like what Link had remembered it to be compared to the destroyed Market Place, which calmed his fears of everything he once loved being destroyed. Epona trotted slowly, and Trey bounced a little in the sling he sat in. The skies were growing darker, with hues of deep violets and blues painting the heavens above them. A thick line of smoke drifted upwards to the clouds beyond the horizon, and Link wondered what it was. When he had inquired about it to some villager, they responded that it was Death Mountain's volcano, restless and spontaneous. The Hero of Time figured that this was the next spot to go to on his quest.

However much he needed to, or wanted to, continue his quest, Link realized that it could not happen until the next day. The ride from the ranch had been longer than he had anticipated, and now the day was running out. He couldn't possibly fight monsters and solve puzzles when he needed sleep. Link trotted Epona over to an old inn where he once went to as a kid, seven years back. It was the only one he was certain he could trust. Some of the other inns in the town were a bit dodgy, what with all the drunken men, women of ill repute, and other generally odd sorts of people who hung out in such areas.

Tying the chestnut mare to a stable behind the inn, Link helped the keaton out of the sling and onto the ground. He told Trey to wait while he went inside; some inns didn't allow animals in the building. With one last look to the horse and keaton, Link entered the familiar inn.

"Good evening," Link greeted as he sauntered up to the front desk. A plump, large lady behind the desk turned to him as a small smile graced her fat, red lips, returning his greeting. "Do you have any spare rooms available?"

The woman checked some papers, muttering to herself as she did so. Finally, she snapped her attention back on Link and replied, "Yessir,"—she slurred her words together—"Got a one-bed room upstairs. That alright?"

"How much?"

"Oh 'ey, sixty Rupees is all I'm askin' fer per night." Her accent was heavy and thick, and Link could only barely make out what she was saying.

"Sounds reasonable." Link untied his wallet from his belt and placed it on the counter. But before he pulled out the money, he asked, "What is your policy on animals?"

The chubby woman blinked and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "'Ey? 'Animals'? Whut on earth are you talkin' 'bout, boy?"

"What I'm trying to say is, do you allow animals to be kept in the rooms?"

The woman hesitated, then turned her head to the side, calling out in a very loud tone, "Oi! 'ubert! Come out 'ere!"

A rather skinny man came peeking out behind a tattered curtain—which supposedly led to an "employees' only room"—his brown eyes dulled and confused. A mop of unruly, thinning, hazel hair was slapped on his head, and he ran a hand through it nervously as he approached the desk.

"'ey now, what's all the fuss?" His accent was also heavy, though not as much as his colleague's.

"This man 'ere wants to know whether 'e can bring animals into th' rooms."

Hubert scratched his balding head, pondering. "Depends on whut the animal is." He turned to Link. "We allow some creatures into our facility, but not all."

"Dogs?"

Hubert shrugged. "As long as they're healthy."

"Well, what about...Keatons? They're sort of like dogs."

Hubert and his employee grew deathly quiet and exchanged blank looks between each other. Finally, the round woman snorted and began to laugh. "Good one, boy! That's really quite funny."

Link's eyebrows furrowed. "What? What's so funny?"

"Beggin' your pardon sir, but you must be daft in the 'ead to believe keatons are still around; there 'aven't been sightings of keatons in 'yrule for years!" Hubert coughed through his laughs, trying to keep himself from being too fanatical, unlike his female employee. He leaned over to counter and whispered, "You do know that spotting a keaton is rare, right? They're supposedly elusive an' shy creatures, an' seeing one is extremely lucky."

"Oh aye, I'd be damned if I ever saw a keaton in such times." The woman wiped a tear away from her eye, trying to get her breathing back to normal. "In fact, th' day when I see a keaton will be the day 'ubert 'ere gives me a kiss...On th' lips! Isn't that right, 'ubert?" She slapped Hubert's back, hard, with a hearty guffaw or two, making him stumble over his own feet for a moment. He grinned lopsidedly, attempting to rub the now sore area where his employee had slapped.

"I have a keaton, though!" Link protested, shifting his weight uneasily.

The woman snorted again, but did not laugh. "Alright, boy, I 'eard you th' first time. Your jokes were appreciated at first, but now it's staler than the bread we put on th' tables 'ere." Hubert nudged his employee in the ribs at this, silently shushing her for this statement. Some man who was eating his bread at the time spat it out as he heard these words.

"I'm not joking," Link continued, trying to persuade these people to believe him. "I have a friend who's a keaton. He's waiting outside right now."

Hubert stood akimbo, raising an eyebrow sceptically. "Oh aye, I believe ya'. So then, show us this 'keaton friend' of yours." He smirked with a chuckle, disbelieving Link's words.

Link sighed as he trotted over to the door, leaned out, and whispered something inaudible. Hubert and his employee leaned across the desk, wondering what on earth he was doing. The Hylian then opened the door up wide, allowing free passage for anyone to walk through. At this, a golden-furred creature waltzed from the outside, where it had begun to rain lightly, and shook his fur when he had entered the inn. His chocolate eyes were hard and serious, but at the same time, glowing slightly with amusement. He followed Link as his two-legged friend went back to the desk, returning Hubert's smirk for one of his own. Hubert and the woman were totally floored by this, as their eyes had widened, jaws had dropped, and faces became paler by the second.

The woman held up a hand to her forehead, finally swallowing at the sight of the majestic animal. She fumbled for words to say, but none seemed appropriate. Not knowing what else to do, she absently handed Link a dull bronze key as he exchanged it for sixty Rupees. "One night only." He said, drifting away to the staircase, Trey at his heels.

Finally, Hubert and the woman turned to each other. An elongated pause passed between the two of them, each registering the presence of the lucky animal in their minds. When the pause seemed to go on for an eternity, the woman broke it by saying, "Pucker up."

-oOoOo-

When the first rays of the morning's light shone through the window's clear glass, Trey had already woken up. He stretched lazily as he rose from his spot on the rug, deciding that he couldn't just lie around forever, especially when the first day of his new adventure had dawned. Last night he had rested better than he had for seven years, where he was completely content with his present life, and didn't have to always keep an eye open to make sure trouble didn't come his way. In the inn, he slept peacefully and securely, knowing that no stalchildren or disgruntled farmers would find him. On top of that, he had a full belly from eating scraps given to him graciously by the inn's owner, Hubert. He had visited Trey and Link last night, offering these scraps for free. It seemed that Trey was welcomed in this place, although the exact reason he was unsure of.

Link was still sound asleep, evidently worn out from the previous day. His deep breathing was one of the only sounds disturbing the early morning stillness; it was truly tranquil. Grinning contently, Trey padded around the room, careful not to cause too much noise, as he did not want to disturb Link from his slumber. The Hylian was snug under the blankets of the bed in the corner, his blonde hair an unruly mop. His hat, along with boots, belt, and green tunic had been carelessly discarded in a corner or over a chair. The keaton, studying Link's sleeping form, crept closer to the bed and carefully stepped up onto the mattress. He shifted towards the outer edge of the bed and lay down peacefully, listening to the sounds of Link's breathing and the chirping birds outside. He still could not believe how rash he had been yesterday, running away and everything. It was evident that Link meant no harm, and still wished to remain close companions with him.

As he lay silently next to the Hylian, he felt Link begin to shift in his sleep. His large hand found its way close to Trey, and he carefully—almost deliberately—placed it on top of the keaton's head. "Hazel?" He murmured in a half-awake state. He yawned widely, opening his tired eyes to meet Trey's bright chocolate pupils. He chuckled as he sat up in bed. "Ha, so it is you." He ruffled the golden fur on Trey's head friendlily. "You rest well?"

Trey barked concisely in response to this before springing off of the mattress. Link grinned, removing the sheets from his body. He swung his bare feet over the edge of the bed and stretched his arms. "Good, because we need to get going soon." He stood up and plodded across the dark wooden floors as he ran a hand through his messy hair, in a mediocre attempt to tame the blonde mop. He didn't care much though as he slipped his tunic back over his shirt and tights, followed by his hat and boots. Link grabbed his rucksack from the corner and flung it over his shoulder. "Come on, then," He called over his shoulder—he still sounded as if he were half-asleep—"Let's get some breakfast, then we'll climb Death Mountain; I need to speak to the Gorons."

Hubert did have a few more scraps to offer to the "lucky" keaton, and after Link had sufficed his hunger, the two began the hike up the mountainside.

-oOoOo-

Goron City was unlike anything Trey had ever set his eyes upon.

Built entirely with rocks and stones, the immense city inside the side of Death Mountain was decorated with torn tapestries and flags. For a place so grand, so large, it was actually built quite deliberately, with meticulous care to every detail of layout. Intricate pathways sloped downwards in a circular fashion towards the very centre of the city, to where a giant cauldron stood, towering towards the very top of the cave. Trey, in awe, stood marvelling at this architectural wonder from the top floor in the city. He had never seen a Goron in his life, but he figured they must be powerful and robust figures to have built this city.

There were no Gorons here at the present time, however. It was clearly evident was no life in this remarkable place. The air was cold, lacking warmth and life. As Trey sat patiently, he felt a chill run through his spine. There was definitely something wrong. Link had gone to investigate, for he too had felt the lifeless aura that surrounded the city. Trey had been instructed to stay put, and he obediently did so as his friend went to explore.

A sudden explosion followed by a startled, high-pitched cry ricocheted off the high ceilings in the city. Jolting to attention, Trey sprung to his paws, muscles tensed and heart rapidly thumping beneath his skin. Was that Link? He frantically thought, worry for the safety of his friend clearly sweeping across his mind. Without a second to lose, he sprinted off down the stairs towards the direction of the sound. He was thankful he had what little strength he needed to run like this, and as the keaton descended another flight of stairs, he came in contact with his friend and a very odd looking figure.

Link was standing menacingly over a hunched figure, whom had fallen to the ground, and was rubbing his head with his large, brown hands. This figure was plump and stocky, yet looked powerful as it had rather muscular arms. Instead of its skin being pink and light, like the Hylians' tended to be, it was very dark brown, and on it back, sharp fragments of rocks protruded. Trey cocked his head to one side; could this have been a Goron?

The Goron wept slightly, as it began to murmur hastily and almost incoherently. "P-p-please don't hurt me!" It begged, sniffling every now and then. "Please, please! I do not want to die! Ask Lord Ganondorf to pardon me, please!" It shook visibly, and Link came to kneel down to its height.

"Calm down, calm down," Link began gently, trying to settle down the frantic Goron. "It's alright; I'm not working for Ganondorf."

At this, the Goron looked up with teary chocolate eyes. "You-You're not?"

Link shook his head. "Of course not, I'm doing the opposite—trying to stop him." He helped the Goron child to his feet. "My name's Link, and I need to speak to your leader, Darunia, instantly."

The Goron child wiped his eyes and attempted to collect himself from his shock. "What? You're Link? As in, Link, Hero of the Gorons? The very same Link that saved our people from famine and slaughtered the King Dodongo? Or, Link, Sworn Goron Brother of Darunia? Or—"

He was stopped short by Link, who scratched his neck nervously, chuckling. "Enough, enough. Heh, I see my reputation precedes me; yes, I am that very Link you speak of."

Clapping his hands delightedly, the young Goron hopped up and down excitedly. "Wow! Why did you not say so before? Allow me to introduce myself: I am Prince Link of the Gorons." At this, Prince Link bowed low before the Hero of Time. He came up again to meet Link's blue eyes with his now excited chocolate pupils. "My father is the King of the Gorons, Darunia. He named me after you, as he spoke of your courageous actions you have done to my people. Unfortunately, my father is not here…Nor is the rest of my tribe." Prince Link sighed dejectedly, lowering his head in sadness.

"Wait, what?" Link asked with shock, stepping towards the young prince.

Prince Link nodded. "Yes, Lord Ganondorf has taken them to the volcano…as prisoners." The young Goron sniffed again, feeling tears sparkle at the corners of his beady eyes. "He wanted something…Something powerful…I'm not sure what it was, but dad knew, and dad wouldn't let him have it. As punishment for dad's resistance, Lord Ganondorf took our people captive, and is threatening to feed them to a mighty dragon if he doesn't get what he wants." Tears had begun to stream down his face as he spluttered this out, and he wailed loudly, causing Trey and Link to shirk back at the sound.

Link put a comforting gloved hand on Prince Link's rough shoulder. "Don't worry, Prince Link," He spoke through the cries, determined to assure the young Goron that everything was going to be alright. "I'll rescue your people, and your dad. You just have to tell me where to find them."

Sniffing away the continuous tears, Prince Link paused for a moment, thinking. He pulled a crimson tunic from seemingly out of nowhere and handed it to Link. "Here, you'll need this," He shakily responded, "They're in the volcano; the entrance is behind the totems in the throne room."

Link nodded as he took the tunic from the Goron. "Of course, I'll get right on it, don't you worry." He stood up, and turned to leave when he felt Prince Link's hand tug on his tunic.

"W-wait, Big Brother," He sputtered again, wiping away his tears. Link turned around, concern in his azure eyes. Prince Link lowered his eyes for a moment, a little ashamed of what he was going to say. "Um, what if Lord Ganondorf returns while you are away? I do not know what I would do if he were to return…"

It was clear that the young Goron was worried for his safety, and while Link was trying to decide on how to calm his fears, Trey came plodding up behind the Hylian. He nudged his leg with his muzzle and gazed up to meet Link's eyes. The Hero of Time smiled, knowing just what would do the trick. "Prince Link," He began, turning to face the frightened Goron, "I want you to meet a friend of mine: Hazel the keaton." At this, the keaton stepped out from behind Link, face-to-face with the stout prince.

The prince swallowed his sadness to gaze directly into the glimmering, friendly eyes of the keaton. He suddenly grinned, his thin pink lips spreading across his whole face in sheer glee. He gasped, let go of Link's tunic, and ran to the animal. "Doggy!" He cried as he threw his muscular arms around the neck of Trey. Trey yelped in shock, but patiently accepted this new form of affection.

Link chuckled at Trey's antics, and at the prince's exclamation, as he said, "Hazel will look after you while I'm away. He's a dear friend of mine, and is very courageous and strong." With a twinkle in his eye, he added on, "Ganondorf wouldn't stand a chance."

Prince Link nodded. "Thank you, Mister Link," He wiped away the remains of his tears. "Please hurry and rescue my dad, along with the tribe. Lord Ganondorf must be stopped."

"You have my word, Prince Link." The Hylian assured the prince, as he bowed shortly. "Oh, and Hazel," Trey looked up at the sound of his name, "Watch over Prince Link." The keaton barked back his reply, swinging his golden tails side to side in content satisfaction.

-oOoOo-

Death Mountain's volcano felt indeed as a volcano should feel—hot and smouldering, and the atmosphere weighing down any traveller. Luckily for Link, he was blessed with the crimson, fire-resistant tunic that the prince of the Gorons had given to him. It was made with Dodongo scales—more resistant than any material accessible to any Hyrulian.

The entrance to the Fire Temple was not far in sight when a teenage boy in a skin-tight blue outfit came flying down in front of Link. Startled, the Hero of Time stumbled backwards in shock. "Sheik!" He gasped, instantly recognizing the figure, "Don't do that to me!"

The Sheikah merely chuckled lightly before turning his blood red eyes to Link. "Let's cut to the chase, Hero," He stated blatantly, for Sheik was never beating around the bush, "Tell me, why are you travelling with a keaton of all creatures?" He eyed Link up and down suspiciously, as if the Hero was something more than what Sheik had originally thought him to be.

Link hesitated for a moment. "We've known each other since I was a child in the Kokiri Forest," He began, "I found him and took him along with me."

Sheik was silent for a moment, arms akimbo. "I see." He said plainly, with a hint of a sneer in his tone. "Very well, just don't let him get in the way, or near me; I am not fond of canines or will I ever will be. Come, pull out the ocarina—it's time you learned the Bolero of Fire."

Link nodded and pulled out the instrument, wondering silently why Sheik would question about Hazel in such a pessimistic manner. Nevertheless, he tried to concentrate what was in front of him at the time: The task of completing the Fire Temple and rescuing the Gorons from imprisonment.

-oO T.B.C. Oo-