Link opened his eyes to see that he was back in Kakariko, in front of the Spirit Spring. Light had been restored, and he wasn't surprised to feel that he, once again, had thumbs, which meant he was human.
"Aw, I was just starting to have fun!" Midna's voice broke through the silence as she popped up in his vision. "Don't forget that Fused Shadow! Eee hee hee! See you later!" She winked at him as she waved and then leaped back, disappearing above the water's surface.
Link then watched as the water began to glow. The sound of a water drop surrounded him, and, strangely enough, a water drop popped up from the water. When it landed back on the surface, a great ball of light appeared and rose. Link watched as a strange, bird-like creature with odd, glowing symbols on its wings, appeared and perched itself upon the ball of light. It then looked down at Link and smiled.
"My name is Eldin. I am one of the light spirits of Hyrule. I am the spirit that guards these lands. O great hero chosen by the gods... The dark power you seek lies in the sacred grounds of the proud mountain-dwellers." It raised its head and looked at the great mountain in the distance. "But already those grounds have been defiled, draped in shadow and seeded with evil." It looked back down at Link. "You must go to those sacred grounds and cleanse them."
Link watched as it slowly bowed as it closed its great wings around itself, disappearing.
Link slowly looked around, gasping as he realized that Maple wasn't lying where he had left him. "Where is Maple?" He called to the spirit who was already gone. Link sighed when he heard no answer, and turned around.
He could have sworn that he had heard a laugh, but he couldn't have been too sure.
Link's feet touched dry ground just as he heard a door open. He looked up to see Colin and the kids standing outside of Renado's house, looking at him with looks of shock and awe.
"Link?!" Colin yelled as he took a step toward him. Colin started running, but was knocked down by Beth and Talo, who ran to Link with arms open. Link was almost pushed down as both children wrapped their arms around him, laughing and jumping.
"Ha ha ha! See, Beth?! I told you that Link would save us!" Talo screamed as he let go of Link's waist and looked at Beth. Link couldn't help but laugh. Talo had no idea that Link knew that Colin had been the one to say that, and that Talo had just rolled his eyes. Link, thinking of Colin, looked up to see the boy smiling at him, Malo standing next to him, clearly not as excited to see Link. Colin stood up and ran up just as the man Renado walked up to Link as well.
He was tall, with long, dark hair, big lips, and soft eyes. "You are the one from Ordon whom these children spoke of?" Link nodded. "We are well met. I am Renado, shaman of this town." Link nodded his head in greeting. "And this..." Renado motioned to the man, Barnes, who was now standing next to him. The man pulled up his welder's mask and smiled. "This is my daughter, Luda." Link couldn't help but smile when Barnes frowned and backed up slightly.
Luda was a tall girl as well, with short black hair and eyes just as soft as her father's. Actually, with Link standing just in front of her, he realized that she was a mere few inches shorter than him, even though she couldn't have been older than twelve.
She smiled and nodded back at Link.
Colin looked up at Renado. "The beasts took us and left us to die...but Mr. Renado found us."
"At first, I couldn't believe that they had come from so distant a place as the Ordona Provice..." Renado sighed.
"Yeah," Colin continued, "I... We don't remember much. All of a sudden everyone was captured, and then...until now...it's been like..."
"A nightmare," Malo added.
"Yeah! It was like a terrible dream and we couldn't wake up..." Colin sighed as he looked at Link with a sad look on his face.
Renado turned to Link. "Mmm... Nightmares are everywhere these days, it seems. This village has certainly seen its share of recent hardships..." Renado slowly turned so he was looking at the town behind them. "The dark beasts attacked, but even worse was the sudden and inexplicable change in the mountain-dwelling Goron tribe." Renado motioned to Death Mountain. "They had long been our friends, but suddenly treated us as foes. Even now they refuse to permit us entry into their mines. It strains the limits of belief... To think that such a gentle and proud tribe could change so suddenly... It makes me wonder if something in those mines is the cause of this change..."
Renado turned back around and looked down at the children. "In any case, you must take these children and flee this village before more nightmares descend."
"What of you? You must leave as well, if you expect more things to happen," Link said. He was worried about what would happen to Renado and the rest of the village if they stayed.
"I, of course, cannot leave my village in such a time. There is no telling what may happen to us here..." Renado said.
"Then I will stay. What can I do to help? I am willing to talk to the Gorons." Link looked up at the mountain.
"But it is my job to try to coax the Gorons back from their recent change of heart," Renado answered.
Link looked down to see all of the children looking at him with hopeful looks on their faces. Link just smiled at them.
"I have a question," Link said as he looked back up. Renado raised his eyebrows. "My friend was...injured, on the way here. Have you seen her? She's, well..." Link couldn't even think of an easy way to describe her to him...
When Renado said nor did nothing, Link began to think the worst. What happened when someone died in the Twilight Realm? Did their bodies disappear? Had they found her body? Even worse, had they found the body of a wolf, or a girl?
Link felt his eyes begin to water as realization hit him. They hadn't found her, which meant that she really was dead and her body was stuck in limbo...
Renado then smiled and stepped to the side. Link was slightly confused a first and just stared at Renado.
"She is fine."
Then, Link understood and turned to look at Renado's house.
The door to the house was still open and, standing in the doorway, her arms crossed as she leaned against the doorway, was Maple.
Link just stood there for a moment, his mouth hanging open uselessly. Maple then stood up straight and smiled.
This was just about the cheesiest thing that Link thought of, but the world just seemed to disappear. She was alive!
Maple dropped her arms to her sides as she started walking toward him. Link ignored everything else and ran to her. He then grabbed her shoulders when he was in front of her.
"You're alive?!"
Maple threw her head back and laughed. "Goddess, don't sound so surprised to see me alive and well!"
Maple's joy filled Link, and he laughed as well. He then pulled her into a hug that was both gentle and filled with excitement. Maple laughed and wrapped her arms around him as well, squeezing him.
"Hey," Maple said as she looked up at him. "Good job bringing the light back...and thanks for saving my life." She smiled, briefly closing her eyes.
That's when Link realized that he loved her
Link felt himself lean down, and softly kiss her.
Maple instantly stiffened and lightly pulled away, clearly not wanting to offend him. She then looked up at him and smiled, no trace in her eyes and expression that he had just kissed her.
"Let's get going, shall we?"
Link loved me. I could feel it the moment his eyes met mine. It was an emotion that I was familiar with and could easily feel coming off of others without much effort. I was, after all, the Goddess of Love. His hug just confirmed it for me. However, I should have been expecting the kiss, but it had thrown me off too much, and could only respond by pulling away...
Too many old memories had surfaced at his kiss...
I gently grabbed Link's hand, hoping to show him that I really did care as I did, and pulled him with me toward the other side of town, toward Death Mountain.
No matter what Renado had told Link, or me, we were meant to go up there and help the Gorons, no matter how dangerous it would be.
"Where are we going?" Link asked.
"We're going to help the Gorons. The nearest Fused Shadow is held by them."
"How did you know that?"
"I was listening when Eldin appeared." We rounded the corner then. "Crawl up the wall and go to the top. Try to talk some sense into the Gorons, okay? I'll be right behind you, don't worry."
Link nodded and then I watched as he started crawling up the wall that was covered in some weird material, almost like mesh. Link got to the top, and then I heard a voice boom over the chirping of the birds back in town.
"Ah! No humans allowed! These lands ahead belong to the Goron tribe! The elders said no humans may pass!" And then I heard a crash.
"Link?" I said when I saw him ready himself to catch the obviously rolling Goron.
"Yeah?"
"They are--" The Goron crashed into Link, knocking him down the twenty feet cliff, causing him to land flat on his back next to me. "heavy..."
Link moaned from next to me.
"A weak spirit is no match for the might of the Gorons!" The Goron guard said when he looked down the cliff at us. "Do you understand me, humans? Then away with you!" He then turned and left.
I reached down and helped Link up, who was a little red in the face, no doubt from embarrassment.
"We need to find you something that will make you impossible to move," I said as I started back down the path to town.
"Does anything like that exist?"
"Yes."
Then, we literally turned the corner, and ran into Renado.
"Ah, how fortunate you two are in one piece!" The wise man said. "I saw you heading up the mountain trail, so I was worried."
"No need to worry, Renado. We were just running an errand," I said as I smiled.
"Are you trying to reach the Gorons of Death Mountain?" Link nodded. "It is far too dangerous, Link! They recognize only strength! A normal person could never persuade them..."
"I noticed," Link muttered.
"But..." Renado smiled. "I do know one person who was able to best them and earn their trust..."
"Who?" Both Link and I asked.
"His name is Bo. You may know him as the mayor of your hometown, Ordon. Please, go to him. And while you are there, please let him know that the children are safe."
"Wouldn't making sure they get back be best?" Link asked.
"Of course, getting them back would be best...but we could not keep them safe from the monsters on the road without a horse and cart... Please... Return to Ordon and inform the parents that their children are free from harm. Give them my word."
"We will, Renado." I grabbed Link's hand and pulled him along with me. "Let's go. We have a long ways to travel before it gets dark."
Link nodded and led the way.
Maple suddenly stopped him when they reached the Spirit's Spring. "Is that...horse hoofs I hear?" Link then listened as well.
Maple was right. There was a horse running somewhere around here.
Link turned around to see his horse, Epona, running at them full speed. Link smiled and expected her to slow when she saw him, but she sped up. Link had to push Maple out of the way and jump before she trampled over them.
Instantly, Link took off after her. She stopped briefly and reared, sending a scream through the air. Link jumped up onto the saddle and attempted to grab her reins, but she landed and took off.
Link held on as tight as he could with one hand as she ran full speed through the town. He could see her reins flapping around in the wind just out of his reach. If he could just grab them, he could get her in control and stop her...
Link reached, but was thrown back when she reared, making him have to grab Epona's saddle with both hands. She landed again and took off.
Link reached again and, finally, just when he felt his grip slip on the saddle, he was able to grab the reins.
Link threw himself onto his horse and pulled back the reins, making her come to a screeching halt. She then shook her head when she realized who was at the reins, and screeched with glee.
"Hmm... You're not to shabby of a wrangler after all!" Midna praised as she popped up from Link's shadow. "Won't this make getting back to your town a lot easier? Now, go finish your errand so we can get back! Get a move on!"
Maple then appeared in Link's view. "Hop on. Riding will be much faster."
Maple smiled and then hoisted herself onto the saddle behind him.
"Let's go talk to Bo."