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I didn't wake up screaming because the dream was scary or any weird excuse like that. No, I woke up screaming because of the despair I felt during the entire dream: despair for leaving the Hero, despair for the fact that I'd never see him again, despair for the destruction of Hyrule... I could go on forever.

"Are you okay?" Link said from somewhere in the darkness next to me.

I looked around for a brief moment, before I saw the reflection of the tiny amount of light shining from his eyes. "Yes, sorry. I guess I just had a bad dream."

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked as he sat down at the foot of the bed.

"Not really," I said as I sat up to look at him.

"You want me to sleep somewhere... I don't know... Closer to you?" His voice was suddenly shy and full of embarrassment.

"No, that's okay. I'll be fine. I just want to go back to sleep, if you don't mind." I laid back down and pulled the covers over my head.

"Alright, then. Sleep well, alright? If you, you know, get scared or anything, feel free to wake me up or something..." I heard him sigh as he stood back up and started climbing the ladder back to his makeshift bed.

I didn't want to think about my dream, but my mind wanted nothing more, apparently. All I could see behind my closed eyelids was the water that was slowly drowning the land of Hyrule, far below the mountain I had been standing on. Why would I have such a dream? Why would there be 'another me,' and was that even possible? Was it possible that the Hero's going back in time had created a parallel world; a world where Hyrule was being flooded this instant?

I huffed as I rolled over in my bed. I couldn't think about that! None of that was possible! I had worked alongside the Hero of Time to save Hyrule! I had been the one to wait for him to be awakened for seven-years! Not some other me! I had done all of those things, not her!

But I couldn't help but wonder if there was some amount of truth behind what I had just seen...

Link began to worry about Maple when he didn't hear her breathing slow after ten minutes. It was quiet enough in his house that hearing her breathe wasn't all that hard.

He heard her roll over again as she made a strange 'huff' sound. Clearly, she was upset about something, and Link knew it had to do with whatever dream she had just woke up screaming from... What had it been about?

Just then, Link heard the creak of the ladder just below his feet. He sat up to see Maple climbing up the ladder, her blanket from her pouch thrown over her shoulder. She stopped when she saw him looking at her.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to wake you..."

"It's alright. I was already awake."

"Do you mind if I...join you up here?" She asked as she pulled herself over the edge of the ladder and sat down next to his feet.

"No, not at all." Actually, the thought of her sleeping that close to him made his heart flutter uncontrollably. He did, after all, still love her, even after she rejected his kiss... Not that he was going to let her know that, but still...

Maple threw out her blanket and then laid down on top of it, just a few inches from him.

"You can't sleep?" He eventually asked, once he found his voice.

She sighed. "No, not really."

"That dream really mess with you?"

She nodded. "I don't know why... It was just really sad... And I can't stop thinking about how...sad I felt throughout it..."

"Do you want to talk about it at all?"

Maple looked at him for a long moment, staring at him with her strange, look-into-your-soul eyes. She then sighed. "No, not yet."

"'Yet'?"

"Yes, 'yet'. Someday, maybe I'll talk about it to you, and tell you...other things..." Her voice faded.

Link didn't want to push the conversation any farther. He instead laid down and spread out his large blanket so it covered her as well.

"Thanks," She said.

"Why did you turn into a wolf?" Link found himself asking. He then realized just how close Maple was to him, because he felt her stiffen.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Eldin said that my turning into a beast meant that I am 'chosen by the gods'..."

"And you think that I am, as well." She didn't form it as a question.

"Yes." She just stayed quiet. "And Midna mentioned that you are close to the gods. What does that mean?"

"What do you think it means?" She asked.

"That's why I'm asking you. I want to know."

She was quiet for along time. Finally, he heard her take a deep breath. "I'm...not who you think I am, just to let you know..."

"I figured."

"I'm...different...than you or other humans." She said the last word with emphasis, and a little awe, as if she envied the word... As if she wasn't human...

"I figured that, as well." Link paused. "Will you tell me?"

"Someday."

"When?"

Maple was quiet for a brief moment. "After we collect all the Fused Shadows. After that, I'll tell you everything..."

"You promise?"

"Under one condition," Maple said as she sat up.

"Anything."

She looked away from him as she spoke. "Promise you won't get scared and run off when I tell you?"

Link started. "Why would I run?"

"Just promise..." She whispered.

"I promise."

We woke early the next morning, before the sun had fully risen. Link then led me up to his ranch, where I met his former co-worker and Ordon's only ranch-hand currently living there; Fado. He was tall; at least six-foot, with dark hair, olive skin, and a broad chest.

"Link?!" Fado said when he saw us approach. "And...whose this?" He waggled his eyebrows at me when he saw me standing behind Link.

Link laughed. "This is my friend, Maple. She's been helping me find the kids."

At that, Fado turned to Link and slightly jumped. "Really?! Have you found them?!"

"Yes," Link said, "we found them, safe and sound. They're in Kakariko Village, being watched by the town shaman."

"N-No foolin'?! The tots are safe?! An' on top of that, they're all in Kakariko Village?!" Link nodded. "Aw, shucks, you don't need to worry 'bout that now. You're incredible, bud! I can already see everybody's smilin' faces!..."

I walked around the field as Fado and Link briefly caught up with each other. Link then helped Fado round up the goats before we left and headed back toward the village.

When we entered the village, we were greeted by a tall, stout man who had a giant boar's horn pierced through his giant nose.

"Link?!" He said as we got closer.

"Bo," Link whispered to me. Link then nodded his head to the Mayor.

"Whoa, it is you, Link! You're safe and sound!" Link smiled at him as he took the Mayor's outstretched hand. "Your clothes... What happened to you, lad?"

"A lot of things," Link answered.

"C-Come quick! Inside!" Bo then led us into his house, where Link quickly introduced me and told him about the kids being in Kakariko.

"I see... So the young'uns are in Kakariko Village! Well, that's good... Renado's and old friend. If they're in his care, then we can relax," The Mayor said, once Link finished the story.

"Yes, Renado is a friend of mine, as well. The kids will be safe there," I said. The Mayor turned to me and smiled. He then gasped, as if looking at me had reminded him of something.

"So... Don't keep me waitin', lad! Tell me of my little girl! Ilia is with the rest of 'em, right?"

Link didn't meet the Mayor's eye as he spoke. "No, she wasn't. I didn't see her anywhere..."

"Oh! I see... That ain't what I wanted to hear..." The Mayor sighed. "Ahh... But Link..." He then shook his head. "I guess I need to think off all five of those poor kids, not just my own... They're all in danger." Link and I both nodded. "What I should be askin' is how I can help out..."

"Actually, about that..." Link said, "I heard a rumor that you were able to best the Gorons in a test of strength..."

"What's that now? The Gorons of Death Mountain?"

"Yes. We need to get up to Death Mountain to get their help, but they won't let any humans pass without testing them and gaining their trust..."

"I see... So Renado told you that..." The Mayor smiled. "Well, it's true... I did defeat the Gorons in a contest of strength and earned their trust... With the help of a little secret."

"A secret?"

"I can teach you the secret...but can you promise me, and I mean both of you," The Mayor looked at me as well, "that you absolutely, positively will NOT disclose it to anyone?"

We both nodded. He then smiled. "Good. All righty, then. Absolutely no one!" He then started walking down the only hallway in the small house. "Come this way."

We entered a large room, decorated with trophies, and lined with seating. The center of the room was taken up by a sumo ring.

"You wrestle?" I asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." The Mayor smiled as he turned to Link. "Link, you've heard of sumo wrestlin', right?" Link nodded. "Gorons like to match strength in sumo contests. Luckily for you, the basics of sumo are the same as stoppin' chargin' goats... You wanna hear more?" Link nodded as I walked over to one of the benches and sat down. "All righty, then. I'll teach you the basics of the ways of sumo.

"If you're gettin' in a sumo match, chances are you're in an arena like this." The Mayor motioned to the room and the ring they were now standing in. "The first fella to push his foe outside the arena wins..."

And so began Link's lesson in sumo wrestling. The Mayor told him the rules, and then they competed with each other until Link won two matches. I had to admit, Link had to be pretty strong to be able to push a man like Bo around a ring, considering that Link was much smaller in comparison...

I spent the whole time cheering.

Link was drenched in sweat by the time Bo called the matches. Link had won two out of three, which made him feel proud of himself, especially since Maple came walking up afterwards and patted him on the back.

"You've gotten a sight stronger in the short time you've been gone, Link..." Bo said, once they had changed back into their clothes and had gone back into the main room. "Strong as you are, though, you can't hope to beat the Gorons wrestlin' with power alone. Those Gorons are made of rock! Naw, the secret to beatin' the Gorons..." Bo paused. He then smiled and stepped to one side, "is locked away in that chest. Take it with you, lad."

Link walked over and opened the chest. He then gasped when he found a pair of boots, completely made of iron, and so heavy that Link had trouble carrying them.

"You can probably tell, those boots are made of iron, lad," Bo said once Link stuffed them in his bag, which sucked up the boots as if they were nothing, and weighed nothing, making Link feel as if he weren't even carrying the boots, "Whoever wears 'em won't easily be pushed around...even by a Goron. If you're fixin' to fight a Goron, be sure to wear those boots..." Bo then looked them both in the eye. "Let's be square, though, lad and lassie: you can't ever tell ANYONE about those boots! 'Specially, Renado!"

Link nodded as Maple leaned over and whispered in his ear: "Told you something like that exists."