Atrayu was certain she was about to die. There was internal bleeding from the abuse her body had taken. Her breathing was labored and difficult. Pain shot beneath her skin and gripped her bones with a merciless hold. She couldn't even speak. Every last bit of strength had left her.

She closed her eyes to retain the last shred of dignity she had. The crowd's excited cries were only a quiet rushing in her ears now. Alpha stood over her, no doubt basking in the triumph.

She couldn't imagine a worse way to die. Colin had picked a fitting way to obtain his revenge.

If only she hadn't overestimated her abilities. She should've waited until Eidel recovered or Link finished whatever errand had his attention. But she had chosen to brazenly challenge him by herself. What a foolish mistake!

That wasn't her only blunder. She had ignored the consequences of her actions. Until now, Colin had always been a nuisance, a weak little boy with more bark than bite. Although his loathing for her was obvious, what could he possibly do?

That question was now answered. His actions spoke for themselves. He had evened the score with her. He had made her taste the same bitter loss and desperation she had inflicted on him.

Now, as she prepared to die, she wondered if the pain and hate he had experienced because of her was the same she felt now. It made sense when she thought about it. It seemed like the universal response to devastating loss. Yet, if she had known Colin would end her life with a few careless words, she would have taken his anger more seriously. But alas, such regrets were meaningless at this point.

As she opened her eyes once more, she saw a second blurred figure. From the stiffness of Alpha's posture, he did not seem pleased. The figure bent down towards her. She felt his hands touch her side and immediately pain spiked through her body. However, it quickly numbed. In fact, she felt some of her strength miraculously return to her.

At first, she was grateful to this stranger. But as her vision cleared and she saw who her mysterious benefactor was, she quickly had a change of heart. Mudora was healing her; she wanted nothing to do with him. However, she was in no position to protest.

The deity looked intently at her wounds with only the occasional glance at Alpha. Seeing his face up-close, Atrayu noticed something she hadn't seen before: the deity had a large scratch across his cheek and his arm. The healing was far along, so it couldn't have been recent. However, she wondered how he had gotten it in the first place. Perhaps he wasn't as invincible as he seemed.

As her hearing sharpened, she could hear their dialogue.

"Actually, I know exactly what I'm doing, and I promise you won't like it," Mudora challenged.

Alpha folded his arms and snorted. "I've had enough of your cockiness. I'll end this little interruption quickly!"

The shifter king rushed towards the deity, who was too focused on his healing to defend himself. Alpha delivered a vicious upper cut to Mudora's side, his fist getting lost in the deity's robes but still connecting with flesh. Mudora grunted and stumbled a bit, then fell back as Alpha kicked him in the face. The deity slid through the snow until he came to a halt. The crowd roared its approval.

Atrayu snuck a quick glance in the direction of where Midna and the others should've been. None of them were to be found. She figured they had escaped in the chaos.

Her heart sank a little. They had abandoned her after all. She knew it was to be expected, especially given the way she had treated them, but they were the closest people to allies she had.

She was surprised when another shifter came and knelt beside her.

"Can you walk, sister?" Rin asked. She quickly examined Atrayu's wounds and grimaced when she saw their severity. "Alpha is distracted. There's still time for you to escape."

Atrayu looked at her sternly. Enough strength had returned that she could speak again. "Will you go with me?"

Rin hesitated, casting a worried glance in Alpha's direction. The shifter king had transformed into a dragon, ready to finish Mudora off with a scorching fireball.

The indecisiveness of her eyes showed conflicting loyalties. "I…I'm afraid not, sister. I am needed here."

Atrayu's eyes burned with anger. "Then you are not my sister! Not as long as you call that monster your king!" Her sudden outburst sent the mercenary into a coughing spell. Pain lurched through her chest.

Rin's mouth tightened as Atrayu weakly pushed her away. The mercenary attempted to lift herself off the ground, but she quickly collapsed. Mudora had stabilized her condition. For that, she was thankful. But she still didn't possess the strength to move very much.

Rin pleaded once more for Atrayu to escape, but the proud mercenary refused her help.

The whole stadium shook as Alpha blasted the ground where Mudora lay. All of the surrounding snow was incinerated on impact, and a large plume of smoke billowed into the sky. Flames danced around the crater like large fireflies. The shifters erupted into cheers at their leader's brilliant display of power. Alpha looked on with triumph, smirking and tossing his head to gloat over his victory.

Atrayu looked on in disbelief. She watched as the flames licked at the winter air. Could it really be over so quickly?

Rin once again attempted to lift Atrayu to her feet, but the mercenary pushed her away. Until Rin was ready to disown Alpha as she had, she would accept no help from her. As Atrayu struggled to lift herself, something caught her eye. She saw movement in the fire.

Alpha saw it too. His victorious smirk quickly disappeared when a silhouette emerged from the flames.

Dirt and ash blanketed his robes, and small burns charred his face. His normally pristine appearance was sullied, but even that could not subtract from the grace and elegance with which he walked. Mudora glared at Alpha intently, a straight, unreadable expression on his face.

"You are strong," he admitted. "But your spirit is shallower than a newly formed puddle. That will be your downfall."

The dragon roared its anger and beat its wings, but Mudora didn't flinch. Alpha readied another fireball. The deity prepared to meet it head on.

With a quick stretch of his hand, he took control of Alpha's mind with a power similar to the Command Melody. The large dragon froze where he was, the fireball in his mouth fizzling out like an extinguished candle. Waving his hand down, the deity forced Alpha back to his human form with surprising ease. When Mudora was certain he had complete control, he spun the great shifter king in circles, making him croak like a frog with each turn. Atrayu could only watch in horror as this man played with Alpha like a puppet.

Eventually, the deity dissolved the spell and allowed Alpha to regain control of his body. The stadium was silent as a graveyard. Alpha looked around curiously, seeming oblivious to what had just occurred.

"Have I asserted my dominance yet?" Mudora challenged condescendingly. He brushed some of the ash off his robes and walked right up to the enraged shifter. His mouth came right to Alpha's ear. "Or do you require a further display of my abilities?"

It didn't take long for Alpha to put the pieces together. "What did you do to me?" he yelled, causing Mudora to step back. "I'll crush you!"

His fist swept through the air but crashed against an invisible barrier before it ever reached the deity. The momentum of his attack broke like a wave against a cliff. Mudora never flinched.

"What sort of sorcery is this?" Alpha growled. "Why can't I touch you?" He began to pound against Mudora's barrier but to no avail.

"This is nothing," Mudora replied.

The barrier dissolved. Alpha seized the opportunity and thrust his fist forward with a right hook. Mudora let it slide by him and stepped inches from Alpha's face. His hand firmly gripped the man's head, sending a pulse of magic that froze the shifter in his place. Alpha's hands flopped loosely to his side.

"As I was trying to say," Mudora continued. "That was nothing. For you, the worst is yet to come."

There was something mysterious about Koholiant Island that Link couldn't quite place.

In all his travels, he had never stumbled upon such an island paradise. The ocean waves were calm and serene, licking the shore so rhythmically he could tell time from it. The water was crystal clear and sparkled in the perpetual sunlight. A warm, balmy breeze always swept through the palm trees, gently pushing their lush, green branches to a hidden tune. Coconuts were scattered among the beach's rich, sandy shores like seeds in a garden. Marin had taught him how to properly open them and enjoy the rich milk contained within.

Mabe Village, where Marin made her home, could be pulled from a storybook. The village was small compared to Ordon, but it still had its charm. Marin lived in a small house with her father, Tarin. The rest of the village was composed of only four other houses, the village library, and a handful of shops. A weathercock stood in the middle of the village. It was one of her favorite places to sing, and often times her song attracted a small audience of children and animals.

Link was struck with how peaceful the village was. Time had no meaning here. The citizens went about their lives without a care in the world. Two little boys played catch in front of the village library each day. Old Man Ulrira chatted endlessly on the phone. Madam BowWow spent much of her time tending to her unusual pets. Even the shopkeepers were friendly and often absentminded, making Link wonder what would happen if someone took advantage of their kindness and stole something.

In fact, everything was so peaceful and perfect that Link didn't know initially how to handle it. His first few days were spent pacing endlessly around the village. He tried busying himself with fishing and the crane game. When he ran out of rupees, he borrowed Tarin's machete and cut some grass to find some more. The cycle continued for several more days until it no longer satisfied his boredom.

Marin noticed his restlessness and suggested he burn some energy by playing with BowWow, one of the village pets. The creature was a strange, living metal sphere with teeth attached to a large chain. When she attempted to introduce Link to the strange animal, it grabbed him by the shirt and flailed him around through the air. There was no second meeting.

Despite all his efforts, the only time Link felt peace was during his nightly jaunts as a wolf. He only ventured out when he was sure everyone was asleep. He often explored the countryside to his heart's content, lit beneath the lamp of a large, pale moon. The island's forests, beaches, and plains were his playground. Yet, even as he scampered across unfamiliar terrain, there were no monsters to attack him. It was the first time he remembered exploring merely for the joy of it.

One night, as Link returned from his meandering as a wolf, he saw a chicken wandering out in the field. With energy still to burn and adrenaline rushing through him, his mischievous side got the best of him. He crouched through the grass and crawled towards it. He had no desire to kill it; he merely wanted to play. Sneaking up on its blind spot, he playfully pounced on it. The bird let out a loud cockle. Link quickly jumped off it, thinking he had hurt it.

The cuckoo was fine and quickly got back to its feet. However, within seconds, Link heard dozens of wings flapping towards him. Before he knew it, a whole flock of cuckoos descended upon him, pecking at his lush fur coat and body slamming him with their small cuckoo bodies. The wolf ran for its life, but the birds chased him persistently, letting out loud cries as their short wings flapped through the air after him. He ran through the village, twisting around buildings and dashing through bushes. The swarm of birds easily kept up with him, pecking at his pristine silver fur while he fled. Only when he jumped into the fishing pond did they finally relent. He never remembered Ordon cuckoos being this aggressive.

In a strange twist of fate, it was the bruises and scrapes from that encounter that caused Marin to finally confront his restlessness the next day. The conversation started innocently enough. They were walking along the plains looking for herbs to bring back to the village when she noticed several scratches along Link's neck and arms.

"What happened to you?" she asked, dropping her basket of herbs to walk over and examine his arm.

Link quickly pulled away. His face was red as a tomato. "It…it was nothing. I fell into some branches."

Marin gently reached again for his arm and examined the marks. This time he didn't resist. "But I've been with you all day. And I didn't notice them yesterday. When did you get them?"

Link looked away. "Err…that's a good question. Maybe last night?"

The young woman shook her head. "Strange…these don't look like ordinary scratches." She released his arm and looked at him sternly. "Were you out provoking the cuckoos last night?"

The hero knelt on the ground and occupied himself looking for some herbs. He picked the first plants he found and put them in his basket. "What would give you a crazy idea like that?"

Marin knelt down beside him and watched as he picked away. "They were making an awful lot of noise last night; it woke me up. When I looked over to your bed, you were gone."

Link continued to pick away. "That doesn't mean anything…"

"It doesn't, except you're not a very good liar. Not only does your face give you away, but you're picking at weeds right now, not herbs."

Link finally gave up and dropped his basket. "Okay, Marin, you caught me." He looked up to see her looking at him with disapproval. "I've fought a lot of things in my life. It's a little embarrassing to get beaten up by a flock of domesticated birds."

"But you didn't have to take to take it out on those innocent birds!" Her voice rose.

Link flinched. Her reaction startled him. "I'm…sorry?"

Marin blushed as she realized the extent of her outburst. She looked away. "Sorry. I didn't mean to shout like that. I guess I got carried away." Her finger drew circles on the ground. "You never mentioned you were a fighter."

"Really? I haven't?"

The young woman nodded. "In fact, you haven't mentioned anything about your past. Is that why you're always so restless?"

Link adjusted his position, pushing his basket to the side so he could sit cross-legged. "I'm not that restless, am I?"

She pushed him playfully. "Well, you attacked a chicken for no reason. If that's not boredom, I don't know what is." She frowned. "And just for the record, the only reason I'm not mad at you is because they hurt you more than you hurt them."

The hero chuckled, looking skyward as a flock of gulls flew overhead. "I guess you're right about that." His smile slowly disappeared. "To be honest, I'm not really sure why I'm so restless. I guess it's just how I am."

Marin looked at him intently. "What was life like before you came to the island?"

Her words made him think. Since being washed ashore, he felt like he was always in a haze, always acting without knowing why. Beyond his initial arrival, he hadn't even thought about what had brought him here. He closed his eyes and tried to recall life before the island.

What came to his mind only brought him pain. He distinctly remembered Colin's spiteful words. He could feel the anger from his duel with Kari. The disappointment in Atrayu's face. The sadness in Zelda and Ilia's words as they parted ways. The memories came only in snapshots, but it was enough for him to remember the sorrow that drove him here.

"Before I found this place, I was always doing something or traveling somewhere," he said at last. He stared at the ground, his eyes very pensive. "In the process, I made some terrible choices. Though I did my best to correct them, it was never enough."

Marin looked at him compassionately. "It seems like you're still traveling around with that guilt. Maybe that's why you've been so restless. Because you've never dealt with it."

Link looked at her. Their eyes met for a moment before he looked away. "You make it sound so simple. How can I do anything about it? It's all in the past."

She closed her eyes and smiled. "Exactly! If it's all in the past, why do you still let it bother you?"

Link looked up to the sky. "I don't know. It's not like I wake up each morning with a shovel, ready to dig it up some more."

Marin giggled. "I just imagined what that would look like. It's quite humorous."

The hero chuckled to himself. "Yeah, I guess that would look pretty ridiculous."

Her smile disappeared. "But in all seriousness, the easiest way to deal with your past is to just let it go. Forget about it if you have to. Look for the good things you have now instead."

He looked at her. "How do I do that?"

"Link, I want you to close your eyes," Marin suggested. She looked straight at him.

Link visibly tensed. "Why?"

"Just do it. I want to teach you something."

He did as he asked. "Now what?"

"Tell me what you feel," she instructed.

Link had to focus for a moment. With his eyes shut, he found his other senses enhanced. "I feel the grass tickling my legs. I feel the warmth of the sun against my back. I feel the wind against my cheek."

"And how does that make you feel on the inside?"

The hero smiled. "I have to say it feels really nice. It's quite relaxing, really."

Marin hugged her knees. "You can open your eyes now." He did so. "You just focused on the present. That's how you live in the moment. See how easy that was?"

Link nodded. "I suppose that wasn't so bad."

She looked at him. "Now you have to try and keep that mindset. Before you know it, you'll forget about your problems and be able to enjoy the moment for what it is." She picked up her basket and stood up. "Now let's finish picking those herbs. I want to have dinner on time tonight."

After that conversation, Link came to appreciate what made the island so strange. There were no monsters for him to fight, no villains to slay, no kingdoms to save. Somehow, evil had not tainted this tropical paradise, and it reflected in the lives of its residents. Life was spent here enjoying each day as it came, with no particular concerns for the future. As he relaxed and focused on the present like Marin had told him, Link began to understand how the villagers could live so peacefully. He became like them. Slowly, he began to forget about the worries that had once bound him. The battle against Mudora was no longer his concern. For the first time since his days at Ordon, Link was allowed to enjoy himself.

Time no longer had any relevance. Each sunrise was a new opportunity for adventure. Some days, he and Marin sat by the beach, drinking coconut milk while they talked about all manners of things. Some days they traveled to Mabe's sister city, Animal Village, so Marin could put on a concert for all of its residents. Some days they ventured out into the woods for mushrooms to satisfy Tarin's insatiable appetite. And still other days, they explored the surrounding countryside, enjoying one another's company until stars eventually flooded the night sky. Then, they would lie in the grass and take turns forming pictures out of the various patterns.

This island was so peaceful, Link was sure he never wanted to leave.

But how long could he remain here undisturbed? He was about to find out.

Link was on his way back from the Mysterious Woods just like any other day. In his hands was a sack full of the mushrooms that Talon enjoyed so much. As the hero walked through the brush and under the lush foliage, he couldn't help but smile. It reminded him of his childhood romps through Faron Woods. He looked up as several gulls circled above in a clearing overhead. He wondered what the view was like from their perspective. Leaves continued to rustle as his boots trampled through the thick undergrowth. Based on previous excursions, he would arrive in the village shortly.

A sudden twig snap caught the hero's attention, and he stopped. His eyes quickly darted towards the sound's origin. Although the island's mellow atmosphere had numbed Link's sense of danger, his senses still remained sharp. He set the sack gently on the ground and crouched low. His blue eyes scanned through the bushes for any sign of movement. Leaves rustled; the sound seemed to be coming from all around him. It was difficult to pinpoint the true source.

Suddenly, a golden blur dashed through the bushes behind him. Link whipped around, but he only caught sight of a tail before the animal dove into another group of bushes. The rustling stopped momentarily, and a lone red eye leered at him through the leaves. Link took a step forward, eliciting a low growl from the mysterious animal. He froze immediately; there was an eerie echo in the sound that he had heard somewhere before. The hero made no more attempts to advance towards the animal. He stared silently at the bushes for a long minute until the animal eventually turned around and ran away.

"That was strange," Link said aloud. Part of him thought he could identify that animal. He had seen it somewhere before. But then the other side of his mind told him he was seeing things. It was just part of the island wildlife, it reasoned, and nothing more.

Link shrugged his shoulders and grabbed the sack of mushrooms from the ground. The animal was gone now. No point in worrying about it.

When he returned to the village, Tarin greeted him with a shout. "Hoy, Link! Are those the mushrooms ya' promised to get me?"

Of all the villagers on Koholiant Island, Tarin was the most easy-going. A short, chubby man with black hair and a black mustache, he always had a smile on his face and a light-hearted laugh that could make a rock chuckle. His demeanor was somewhat childish and naïve and often got him into trouble, especially when he went searching for mushrooms himself. His attention to social cues was somewhat lacking as well. This annoyed Marin to no end whenever he inserted himself between her and Link. Despite this, his heart was always in the right place, and Link admired him because of it.

The hero nodded and held up the sack for the jolly man to see. "Yeah. I only found a few this time. I hope that's alright."

Tarin laughed jovially and slapped Link on the back. "Don't get down on yourself, m' boy. One is more than enough. You've outdone yourself already."

The hero nodded and smiled softly. "Glad to hear it." He looked around the village. "Say, have you seen Marin? She was supposed to meet me here."

Tarin eagerly opened the sack and took in a giant whiff of the fungi. "Mmm…now that's a smell to get yer' tummy rumbling." He looked up. "Eh? What was that, Link?"

Link rolled his eyes but with a playful smirk. "Marin? Do you know where she is?"

Tarin closed the sack. "Oh yeah! She went on ahead to the beach. Said you'd know the spot."

Link sighed. "Guess she couldn't wait for me." He turned around and began jogging towards the beach. "Thanks Tarin! See you in a bit!"

As the hero jogged past the library and down the path towards the beach, the scent of salt grew stronger. He could hear the rushing of waves and the crying of gulls. He quickened his step.

As he traveled towards the spot he and Marin often went to, the hero's mind returned to the golden blur. Why couldn't he stop thinking about it? It had seemed like it wanted him to follow it. Should he have listened? The more Link thought about it, the more anxious he became. He wasn't sure why, but something about the animal unnerved him. He decided it was best to avoid it; no reason to look for trouble if he didn't need to.

He found Marin sitting towards the ocean at their favorite spot, a hollow log big enough to fit two comfortably. As soon as he saw her, all thoughts about the strange animal disappeared, filled instead with a childish joy.

The cliffs surrounding them seemed to isolate their spot from the rest of the world. Palm trees on either side offered relief from the warm sun, while the gentle rhythm of the tide washed away his troubles. Marin's eyes were closed as she hummed a beautiful melody, her petite frame swaying side to side with the warm, ocean breeze. Her sandal-clad feet were mere inches from the ocean waves.

She jumped a bit when he tapped her on the shoulder, but her lips quickly parted into a large smile when she turned to look at him.

"Wow! I didn't even here you approach," she giggled. "How long have you been standing there?"

Link shrugged his shoulders and sat down beside her. "Not long. I just got back from the Mysterious Woods. Then I had to stop at the village for a moment."

Marin nodded and looked back at the waves, tossing her head so her hair fell behind her. "Tarin loves his mushrooms. That's for sure."

Link nodded and said nothing at first. This was his favorite spot on the entire island. Combined with Marin's presence, there was no place he'd rather be.

"What were you up to before I arrived?" he asked.

Marin began to fidget with her hands. "Oh, I was just thinking…."

Link leaned forward and rested his arms on his legs. "Thinking about what?"

Marin looked out towards the horizon. "It's silly, really. Don't worry about it."

Now Link's curiosity was piqued. "You can't just leave me guessing." He pushed her playfully. "Now you have to tell me."

Marin pushed him back. "I'll push you off this log if you're not careful," she giggled. "I don't even know my own strength."

Link arched a brow. "I'd like to see you try."

He laughed as she pushed fruitlessly against him with all her might. She grunted and struggled but didn't even move him an inch. After a few seconds, she gave up.

"Told you that you couldn't win," Link said with a smile. "Now you have to tell me what you were thinking about."

She sighed and looked down at the ground. Her hands twirled her hair nervously. "I was just thinking about what lies out there. You know…on the other side of the ocean."

Link nodded and looked out at the endless blanket of blue. "Seems hard to believe anything could be out there."

Marin looked up excitedly. "But there has to be! After all, I found you, didn't I?" She looked at him intently, her cheeks blushing slightly. "When I found you on the shore, my heart skipped a beat. I thought to myself…surely this man has come to give us a message."

Link felt the back of his neck becoming unusually warm. His eyes darted nervously. "I…I guess. I'm not really sure what sort of message though."

Marin looked back towards the ocean with a big smile on her face. "I want to know everything about you, Link." This time, her cheeks were burning red. It took her a few moments before she could even glance in his direction. "Where did you come from? What was it like there?"

The hero's gaze dropped to the ground and his mouth became a grim line. "To be honest, I don't want to talk about it. There's no reason to. I'm just content staying here on the island with you and Tarin."

Marin smiled at him. "Well, I'm glad you're here." She looked out towards the ocean. "I'm sorry thinking about your world causes you such pain. But surely it can't all be bad. Weren't there things you enjoyed? People you loved?"

Link nodded and followed her gaze to the ocean's horizon. The water stretched infinitely, sparkling with the reflection of the sun. "Of course. I miss the forest around where I grew up. I miss galloping across the vast plains of Hyrule with Epona. And the pumpkins we'd grow in the summer, those were to die for. I saw many places and met many noble people. I formed friendships with a lot of them, and of course, Midna and I…" He stopped short.

Marin looked at him curiously. "Who's Midna?"

The hero's face turned solemn. "She…" He shook his head. "It's nothing."

The young woman placed a hand on his leg. "Is that a sensitive subject for you?"

Link looked down at her hand and forced a smile. "No, it's fine. I was just rambling…that's all." His eyes returned to her. "So why do you want to leave the island?"

The young woman looked out at the waves and rested her head in her hands. She let out a soft sigh. "I want to sing my songs for the whole world. I want to see what sorts of strange lands and fascinating people are out there. I've lived my whole life on this island, and I love it." Her eyes sparkled. "But sometimes, I wish I had wings like the seagulls so I could go wherever I pleased."

Link nodded. "That's a wonderful dream to have."

Marin chuckled to herself. "For the longest time I didn't think there was anything else beyond the ocean. But then one day, I found a young man washed along the shore similar to how I found you. He had strange clothes and a stranger personality, but the stories he told were fascinating. They made me dream of a world larger than this island."

Her words grabbed Link's attention. "You mean I'm not the first?"

The young woman shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "Well, no. But it certainly doesn't happen often."

"Is he still around? What happened to him?"

Marin placed a finger to her lip. "To be honest, I don't really know. One day, he said he heard a voice and then mysteriously disappeared. I never saw him again. Now what was his name again? Karla? Kerry?"

"Kari?" Link suggested.

Marin snapped her finger. "Yeah! That's it! How'd you know?"

Link looked out at the waves and faked a smile. "Lucky guess I suppose."

As if the name was a magic word, Link began to hear a low growling in his ears. He stood up from the log and turned around. There, sitting further up the beach was the animal he had seen in the woods. This time, it was staring right at him in plain sight, its tail slowly swishing from side to side. As Link observed the creature's golden fur, canine-body, and glowing red eye, he remembered where he had seen it before.

"Is something wrong?" Marin asked.

Link pointed in the animal's direction. "Do you see something over there?"

Marin looked in the direction curiously. "Nothing but the beach and the gulls. Why? Do you?"

Link shook his head. "I thought I did, but it must be nothing." He looked towards the path that led back away from the beach. "I'll be right back. I have to get something from the village."

Marin stood up as well. "I'll go with you."

The hero quickly shook his head. "No, you can't," he said quickly. When he saw the hurt in her eyes, he improvised a reason. "I have a gift I wanted to give you, but it'll ruin the surprise. Can you wait here?"

The joy jumped back in her eyes, and Link let out a sigh of relief.

"A gift? Of course! What is it?"

He shook his head and scolded her. "It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you. Wait here and I'll be right back."

She beamed brightly at him. "Okay…but make it quick, please?"

He smiled but said nothing as he walked away from her and onto the path towards the village. The animal rose onto all fours and dashed ahead of him; it maintained just enough distance for him to follow it.

Link didn't know what to think. Why would he appear here above all places? What could he possibly want? A swirl of questions and emotions swirled in Link's head. Part of him even wanted to turn back and rejoin Marin. He ignored that voice and pressed forward. Something deep inside him knew that this needed to be done.

His hairs stood on end, and a chill went down his spine. Something also told the hero that whatever awaited him, he wasn't going to enjoy it.

Nonetheless, he followed the animal's lead, walking along the shore and into a small cove dug into the cliff. Upon entering, it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. But when they did, it soon became apparent what had brought him here.

Sitting in the middle of the cave was the golden wolf. The same wolf that had mentored him on his first journey and taught him the hidden skills.

A/N- Well, you guys are in for a special treat. The next chapter was so long that I had to split it into two chapters. That means you get to read the first chapter now. And then, I'll release the next chapter a few days later once I finish revising it.

This chapter really resonated with me as I wrote it. For those who aren't familiar, Koholiant Island is from Link's Awakening. That was the first Zelda game I ever played, and it still is one of my favorite games of all time. Marin holds a special place in my heart as a character, and so I really tried my best to make her personality come out of the pages. Hopefully, I was able to do justice to her. I can't tell you how many different renditions of Ballad of the Windfish I listened to as I wrote this. See you all in a few days with the next chapter