Chapter Eleven: Growing Up

The feast that followed after was one to be reckoned with. The residents of Kakariko that day and through the night were able to hear the sound of beating drums and the shouts of the Gorons. With the cavern once again safe, the premium bomb flowers were farmed in hordes, and the feast sported almost naught else; every dish had a bomb flower cooked in some way. Games were held, almost exclusively feats of strength, though some were less so. Link was surprised to discover that Navi possessed an excellent singing voice, much to her embarrassment, during a karaoke competition. Darunia danced like no one else could. And Link, after much begging, played the ocarina, while the Gorons' drums kept the beat.

Eventually, the feast did indeed end, in the wee hours of a new day. Sleep was had, and the dawn came, and found Link and Navi once more in the presence of Darunia in his room.

"I wish to thank you once again, Link, for your bravery and courage. You risked your life for us when you had no reason to. We are indebted to you." Darunia grinned, folding his arms together. "You'll make a fine story for our halls, my friend. You'll be leaving us for now though, eh?"

"Unfortunately yes. I really like it here, but we haven't much time."

"Not with Ganondorf, I can't imagine you do. You'll be needing this then. After all, I promised it to you." The chief walked over to a chest in the corner of the room, which was simple and unadorned, betraying the treasure inside. Unlocking the chest and lifting it from its hold, he turned towards the pair, revealing the treasure they sought. It was masterfully crafted, much in the same way the Kokiri's Emerald was. Instead of an emerald, a large ruby was cut to fit in its golden frame, which cradled the gem at its base and extended out and upwards to a point, similar to the gem's cut, resulting in the item to appear as three-pronged. Befitting for their tribe's symbol, the design radiated power. This was the Goron's Spiritual Stone of Fire, the Goron's Ruby.

Link reached out and carefully took hold of the treasure with both hands, marking how similar it was to the Kokiri's Emerald in weight. He placed them together in the same pouch, feeling excitement building in him. He had two of the stones now! He had only one left to go!

"Thank you Darunia, for your help," Link said, smiling. Darunia chuckled, shaking his head.

"I thought I made it clear you are the one to be thanked, not I. And now I am thanking you. Were the Great Deku Tree alive, I know he would be so proud."

"You knew him?" Link asked, surprised. The chief laughed.

"Of course I knew him! I met him in my youth, when I found a path leading from here on Death Mountain to the Lost Woods. Nearly lost myself there, as it was, true to its name, until I stumbled into his grove. I had heard rumors of a great spirit of the forest, but never did I expect to meet him. We talked for a long while, and before I made to return he gave me his blessing, telling me I would one day aid in restoring this world. And now I think I know what he meant, all those years ago."

"How long ago was that?" Link asked, curious.

"Oh, maybe fifty years? Give or take one or two," he added with a chuckle. "Before you go, Link, a word of advice," Darunia continued, talking a seat on the rug mat cross-legged. "Unless you're sick of danger on this mountain, I would recommend you try to reach the top of the mountain. Your journey isn't over yet, and you're going to need more strength. There's someone who lives up there who can give you that strength."

"Really? Who?"

"You'll see for yourself, if you choose to meet," He replied, grinning. Clearly he wasn't going to tell. "Now get going, you have a world to explore, and a world to save!"

~0~

An hour later, Link heaved himself up over a ledge on the rubble-strewn path up to the top of the mountain; clearly it was not a well-travelled path. Lying flat on his back, he attempted to regain his breath. The mountain and, even more pressing, the sun were working against him, however, even as he lay there he could feel the hot sun sapping his strength, and the mountain still leered down on him. Navi hovered above him, looking down on him with concern.

"Are you sure you're ok?" she asked, for probably the dozenth time. Not that she looked much better; her wings were visibly drooping and her wings were beating slower than usual. With an effort forced against lethargy, Link pushed himself to a seated position, extending his arm in offering to Navi, to which she gratefully landed on.

"I'm fine, I think. I wish he would have mentioned this would be so hard," he added, thinking of Darunia. Navi nodded.

"But, do you think you would have done it if you knew it would be?" she asked. Link opened his mouth, but stopped short. No, he probably wouldn't have, would he? Sighing instead, he pushed himself up fully again. Navi fluttered to his shoulder, none too eager to take to the air quite yet.

"Let's just keep moving, we don't have much more left, see?"

The path ahead looked much smoother, a gradual incline towards the center of the mountain shouldered on either side by cliff-like ledges. At the far end, the path rose sharply into a cliff, hardly smooth, so that he could climb with ease. The mountain top itself could be seen now as well, as well as the signature smoky ring circling around it. He had heard from the villagers in Kakariko that, when the mountain was peaceful, this ring was present. The clouds would become like fire when the mountain was disturbed; it had once been a volcano, long ago, and some of the village held fear for it becoming active again. He wasn't particularly hoping for it either.

The path descended a short way, so Link simply let it carry him, almost reaching a run when he came to the incline. At that moment, a rumbling sound echoed across the rocks, and the ground shook beneath him. Caught unawares, link lost his balance and fell to his knees, wide eyed.

"What's going on?"

"Link, above you!"

Link whipped his head up, gave a startled yelp, and rolled out of the way. A large rock, perhaps twice his size, fell where he had been, and with a loud crack, broke into smaller pieces. Link looked up again, and fear gripped him. The mouth of the mountain was spewing ash and rock, which were descending rapidly back to earth, including into his path; the mountain was awakening again.

"Oh, shit!" Link cried, kicking off into a sprint up the path. "Navi, watch the skies!"

"Link, just turn around, quickly!"

"The safest place is closest to it," Link cried over the sound, breathing hard. "The rocks are being thrown away from it so guide me!"

Navi said nothing, instead she turned her gaze to the sky as he had asked, watching the debris arching across the expanse, descending towards-

"In front!"

Her words barely left her mouth before he had already sidestepped to the right, sprinting by the charred rock as it hit the ground. If he was afraid, he was doing a good job not showing it, she noted; his eyes were hard and fixed in front him, barely noting his surroundings.

"On your right!" she cried, and again he jumped to the left with deft ease, resuming his run as if he had not been interrupted.

"Right again! Left! In front!" He dodged them all, but she was worried now. The rocks were more frequent now, and Link was slowing down, his breathing was labored. Twice more she warned him, the second time the rock grazed his arm. She gasped, wide eyed, at the fresh injury, a burn. Link winced, clearly wrestling a cry of pain in check, and instead of faltering he pushed harder. Drawing strength from the pain, she thought. Was it enough?

More rained down, and she called them all. They were almost at the ledge, and she had yet to see any come near it. But her confidence faltered as she looked up one more time. There was two, no, three...five rocks, clumped together, and he wouldn't be able to dodge them all entirely, there was no way.

"Link, watch out!"

Link looked up, grimaced, and put on a burst of speed which she had not thought he had. It still wasn't enough. "Link!"

He ducked, missing the rock above and on either side of him. With a hoarse yell, he jumped, launching himself, the last rock directly above him.

~0~

When his eyes opened, he found himself face down, the bright daylight had faded, leaving the westward landscape bathed in red, the rest covered in dark shadows. Navi stood close to his face, so that he could see her clearly. Her face broke into a relieved smile, and little tears trickled down her face.

"Oh, thank the goddesses you're awake! How are you feeling, are you OK? I was so scared, you've been out for hours, but I couldn't sense anything wrong with you, so..." She let the sentence drop, her tears of joy overcoming her. Link smiled faintly, himself glad that they were both alright.

"I could be better, but I'm not in any pain." He grimaced. "Not bad pain, anyway," he corrected, feeling his muscles protest when he flexed. The climbing and the sprinting had taken a toll on his body, and he was physically exhausted. Doing his best to ignore the pain, he pushed himself upright, looking around. The path that had once been clear and smooth was now covered in debris, including what had been a particularly large boulder directly behind him inches from where his legs had been. The path on either side of him and ahead were clear; as he had though, this had been the safest spot.

"Link, your shield..."

"Hmm?" He turned his head, trying to catch a glimpse of it. Failing that, he pulled it off his back. The Hylian shield wasn't dented, but the painted crest was badly scratched. If it wasn't for the fact he knew what was supposed to be there, he probably wouldn't have been able see the crest at all. He grinned; it was a shame, but it had done its job, and had done it well. Perhaps, when he went back to Castle Town, he could get it fixed.

When he had jumped, the boulder he had tried to outrun had collided with him, the shield taking the blow. His weight managed to carry him ahead of it, even as it had forced him down to the ground. The impact had knocked him unconscious it seemed. It had been a dangerous gamble, but it had saved him, he concluded.

"It'll work still," he told her, placing it behind him again. He stood up, wincing as his muscles throbbed in pain. Navi fluttered up to his shoulder.

"Link, can you promise me something?"

"Huh?" Link asked, looking her way.

"Can you promise me something?" she asked again, staring at him, her face expressionless.

"Uhh, I guess, what is it?"

Navi continued to stare at Link's questioning eyes. She sighed, walked the length of his shoulder, and promptly punched his cheek. It must have hurt, small as she was, because Link flinched as he winced in pain.

"Ow, what was that-?"

"Don't do something like that again! You almost got yourself killed! How are you supposed to hold your promises if you die before can?!" She stared at him sternly for a moment more, before she sighed and turned away. "Everyone you've met on this endeavor has put so much faith in you. Just, think of that before you put yourself in harm's way. There's a difference between being brave and being rash, remember that."

Link stared at the ground in front of him, mulling her words over. He had to admit, a little shamefully, she was right. Thinking back, he was rather impulsive. Not that he hadn't known that before, but her criticism highlighting that behavior forced him to seriously think about it for the first time, really. He sighed and nodded.

"You're right. I'm sorry Navi, I hadn't really thought of it that way."

"Of course you didn't. You might be a hero, but you're not invincible. Some things just come with experience too, I understand that as well, so don't think I mean to criticize every time you've been impulsive. Having that can be a good thing, if you channel it properly. You're instincts in combat are exceptional, for starters. Sometimes you just, well, don't think things through enough. I say this because I'm your partner, I'm just trying to help you get better, alright?"

"I get it, yeah." Link lifted his head back up, taking a deep breath of the now cool air. "I'll try my best not to let you down, and everyone else too." He looked at Navi, who was facing him again with a small approving smile. "You'll help me with that, right?"

"Of course," she nodded, hopping off his shoulder to hover a few inches away. "Now, do you feel like you can make this climb, or do you want to rest a little longer before you attempt it?"

Link looked upwards in front of him, trying to judge the height. The darkness was approaching rapidly, but the stars and the moon were providing more than sufficient light to see. Even so, he shook his head.

"I think I'll wait till the morning, more rest couldn't hurt, and I'm a little hungry." Navi nodded her approval, and link sat down at the base of the cliff face, pulling out a small sack of food the Gorons had supplied him with.

Fifteen minutes later, he lay himself down to sleep. The air had a chill to it, but the ground was warm underneath.

~0~

The dawn came swiftly, and he awoke to see the world below him still draped in shadows. Looking out to the horizon, he was amazed to see, almost imperceptible, that it wasn't flat, but curved. The world was round, it seemed, and he had been none the wiser. How many others knew this? Surely the Gorons, so he supposed it wasn't that amazing. Still, to him, it meant a lot. How big was the world, he wondered? How much of it would he see?

Navi appeared by his side, looking out with him.

"It's a big world out there, isn't it?" She asked him. It wasn't really anything to answer, but he nodded anyway. "It's not something people think about very often, when they don't get to see a sight like this. A good lesson to learn from this: you, me, everyone, we're only a small part of it, but we can't forget that we can change it. That's what we're trying to do Link, change the world for the better." She smiled "So let's hop to it and start this climb, shall we?"

"Alright, let's," he answered her, turning towards the cliff, thinking about what she said for a moment more before putting out of his mind for now. The world was big, bigger than he imagined, and he was indeed small in it. But he could still change it.

The climb was easier than he thought it would be. There were plenty of handholds, and while he was still a little sore, he didn't need to exert himself too much. It wasn't long at all until he reached the top, which leveled out evenly into a small plateau, with even what appeared to be a passage that went into the mountain. But that wasn't what he saw first. Instead, what he saw first was a massive bird, perched on top of a signpost, staring right at him. If that wasn't surprising enough, the avian opened its beak.

"Hoo, You've certainly come a long way from your forest home haven't you, Link?"

"WAA!" he cried, jumping back, and nearly falling the edge for it. It spoke! He stared, gaping. Navi looked just as amazed.

"Did I startle you, hoo? My apologies, young man, I know you, but I'm afraid I've not made myself known till now. I am a friend though, hoo, yes, I was friends with the Ancient One, the Great Deku Tree, too. Perhaps you've heard of me, little fairy, hoo, but you have not I am sure, Link. I am Kaebora Gaebora."

Link could only stare, still dumbfounded by this experience, even as the owl casually ruffled his feathers and preened himself momentarily. Navi was the first to recover, for she did in fact know that name.

"Kaepora?" She responded, fluttering closer. The owl swiveled his head around to face them again, only this time, his head was suddenly upside down, the markings on his face showing the vague appearance of another face. If she was surprised by this, as Link was, she didn't show it. Link himself was recovering quickly, his shock now replaced with curiosity. The bird, Kaepora Gaebora, knew his name, and the Great Deku Tree, and he wanted to know how.

"I know of you," she continued, "The Great Deku Tree spoke of you before. He spoke well and highly of you."

"Hoo hoo hoot, Did he now? That is good to hear, yes, very good, I am flattered. Before his tragic passing, we were longtime friends, hoo. In my younger days I would perch upon his boughs, hoo, and we would speak in great length of the world. That was long ago, and I regret I did not meet him sooner, hoooo." His last hoot stretched longer than his others, and his head, now upright, drooped slightly. "But the time of regret has passed, hoot, and I must fulfill my promise to him: that shall be my atonement!"

"Link, Navi, you did not know, but I've been watching you on your journey, hoo. You've done well, better than my expectations, hoot, and your courage is commendable. But courage will only take you so far, and that's why you are here, hmm? Hoot"

Link stood only a few feet from him now, Navi had opted to stand on his shoulder. She stood casually, at ease, which reassured Link that this visitor was no threat. Well, not to him anyway he thought, as he noticed his talons were exceptionally large. He may be a sentient bird and friend of his late Father, but he was an owl, a bird of prey. Having lived in the forest, he knew their talent.

"Wait," Link said, thinking suddenly, "If you've been watching me, did you know how badly I got hurt? I almost died!" The owl stared at him for a moment, and blinked once.

"I was not needed, you were safe enough with Talon and Malon, were you not?"

"But-!"

"I was tasked with watching and guiding you, Link, hoo, not be your guardian. If it will place you at ease, it was I who alerted the owners of the ranch, in a roundabout manner. I am rather large for a bird, after all, hoot. I rattled the window panes enough for the kindly man to come to it and see the matter, and he saw your predicament. This was before the accident, mind you, I did my best. Does that satisfy you?"

Link was forced to concede, and he nodded, a little embarrassed now.

"I am glad you are alright, truly, hoo. You're a strong young man though, both in body and spirit. You've proved that well enough already, and more so by reaching this point! The Goron chief advised you to make this climb, hoo, did he not? It was not I he wanted you to meet, you know." Ruffling his feathers again, he stretched his wing to Link's left, pointing towards a pile of rubble "Beyond this sealed entrance is the Great Fairy, leader of the fairies. Prove your connection with the royal family, and she will teach you a skill I'm sure you will find useful, hoo hoot."

"Great Fairy?" Link asked, glancing at Navi. She was staring at the pile of rubble herself now, looking lost in thought. She blinked.

"I think…yes, I can feel her presence," she said, almost in a whisper. "She has more power than I could have imagined."

"Hoo, yes, she is powerful indeed. Go on, show me how smart you are. I will wait here for you, and I can help you back down the mountain; it's a long way down by yourself, hoot." He began preening himself again, apparently content in having spoken enough. Link took another look at the rock pile, understanding what he had to do. Walking over, he opened his pouch and pulled out one of the bombs from the bomb sack the Gorons had given him as a parting gift. Unlike the other bombs he had used, these ones had a strange mechanism that lit the fuse without aid of any stones or matches. Wedging it between a few pieces, he ignited it and backed off quickly. Kaepora watched silently, and didn't even flinch when the blast went off, scattering debris about the revealed entrance, and nodded to himself as the pair walked through.

~0~

The path carried them deeper into the mountain than either realized, and the walked forward silently for several minutes before the tunnel became squared, and rock became stonework. Navi's light was sufficient for them to see, but soon after it was not the only light source. The path opened up to reveal a large room, and they both marveled at the sight before them.

The path here narrowed between three steps; where could have had several of himself walk side by side before, the path here only allowed perhaps half that number. On either side of the path, there was a shallow pond, the water crystal clear, rippling from what he now saw as the source to be the walls themselves, which had water trickling down from above, whatever was the source within this mountain, he had no idea. The path was short, leading towards a large ornate fountain, with two steps up to it with giant stone torches twice as big as he was, if not more, on either side. The only sounds were the trickling of water and the crackles of the flames within their brackets. Of the Great Fairy, there was no sight of her.

"Where do you think she is?" Link asked, looking at Navi. She pointed at the fountain.

"I can feel her there, her magic is strong…She knows we are here, make no mistake. We should introduce ourselves."

"How?"

"See that mark in front of the fountain? I'm sure we need to present ourselves there."

Looking back at the fountain, he did see the mark, he had missed it before. He walked forward quickly, crossing the gap in seconds to see the mark on the floor was the image of the Triforce, painted a yellow-gold color, within a large time outlined the same color. Stepping up to stand on it, the two of them stared at the fountain before them. Though it had no apparent source, the water rippled away from the surfaces steadily and evenly.

"Prove your connection with the royal family, and she will teach you a skill I'm sure you will find useful."

Remembering the owl's words, Link pulled out his ocarina. Navi watched silently as he stared at it for a moment, before putting it to his lips and, with careful practice, played the song he had been taught by Impa, Zelda's caretaker. Almost immediately from the first note, he felt a power from the sound, and after he had finished playing, he could almost still hear it continuing.

Seconds later, the water erupted, spraying them and their surroundings, the flames flickering, but refusing to die. Laughter followed, high pitched and merry, and from the center sprung forth a woman, rapidly growing large enough to encompass nearly the whole of the spring. She hovered above them as if sitting with legs crossed, and she smiled down at them kindly. She wore vines to cover herself, if rather scantily, which did nothing to hide her physique, and leather boots that traveled up her calves to end at her knees. Her exceptionally long hair was parted into three ponytails, and, if her appearance wasn't shocking enough, was colored a vibrant pink.

"My my, what do we have here? It's been quite some time since I've had a guest," She chuckled. "And a Kokirian, No less! How strange to see one of your kind so far from home, perhaps…" she paused, looking at him curiously. Link could only stare, lost for words. Now that she was here, even he could feel her magical presence. It was almost like the Great Deku Tree's, only his was a quiet presence that bellied immense power and force, while hers was much more pronounced, focused. Navi picked herself up from off his shoulders and fluttered forward a few inches, before bowing her head in respect. She nodded her head in kind. "And hello to you, little one, I thought I felt a kindred spirit nearby. Welcome, both of you, I am the Great Fairy of Power."

Not wanting to be rude, Link bowed his head as well, and found his voice again.

"My name is Link, my partner is Navi. We're honored to meet you."

"Link?" She looked at him with that curious expression again, before smiling wide. "Oh! I know of you! All the spirits do now, and my sisters too, I am sure of it. Yes, you caused quite the stir with your heroic efforts in the forest. To think I would meet you in person, the honor is mine!" After saying this, she bowed low. "Thank you for your efforts to free the Ancient One. For that act of bravery, you are indeed a friend of the fairies, know this and be glad, it is a rare thing indeed for one of the mortal world to be called one."

Link was surprised by this, but it was Navi who looked dumbfounded, glancing quickly between the Great Fairy and Link. The Great Fairy herself had called her partner a friend of the fairies! She couldn't think of the last time that had even happened!

"You honor my partner with that name, Great Fairy?" She managed to speak, "You are truly kind, Thank you."

"I do, little one, you have a fine partner indeed." She smiled. "I must properly thank you, Link, it would be rude of me otherwise, and you came such a long way, too. And I think…Yes, I have just the thing!" She moved herself as if to stand, still floating above the waters. She spoke again, this time with authority.

"As the Great Fairy of Power, My gift is two-fold. I shall grant you the ability to channel magic, and a sword skill to hone that magic to a potent strike. No doubt this will serve you well on your journeys. Receive it now!"

Stretching her arms before her, she channeled her magical power towards Link, and he marveled as light surrounded him, bathing him in a warm glow. He gasped as he suddenly felt power coursing through him, stretching and feeling its way to every part of his body. He felt like he had just sprinted a mile, without any of the exhaustion of doing so. It was more energy than he knew how to get rid of or do with. This was magic, he realized. And he felt it outside of him too now. Navi's glow was more than just her light, it was her aura. The Great Fairy before him had immense power radiating from her, it filled the whole chamber. And now he could see the aura of magic coming from himself, like steam.

And then is was over. Her magic recoiled, and he felt the world grow dim to him. He breathed deeply, shakily even, wrapping his mind around what he had just seen and felt. Navi fluttered into his field of view, eyeing him with near concern. Even so, she was smiling. He returned it.

"Quite the feeling, isn't it young man?" the Great Fairy asked, giggling. "I awakened your latent power sleeping within." She winked. "You have a lot of it. You won't feel that every time you use magic though, this was a special case. Your partner can help you master some of the finer points, but unless you willfully summon it, you are in no danger of accidentally releasing any. As promised though, I will teach you a special skill, draw your sword, and let me show you."

~0~

By the time Link left the Great Fairy's Fountain, noon had already passed by, and the sun was well on its way in its descent. He was tired, it was evident, but he also looked satisfied with himself, Kaepora Gaebora observed. He could sense a change in the young man, and knew the Great Fairy had done something special.

"Hoo hoot, well now, I see you look well enough, perhaps even a little grown up, hmm, hoot." He ruffled his feathers, and flapped his wings a little. "But you still don't quite look the hero part, not yet. Fear not, you'll make it yet. Now then, how about that lift down?"

"Yes please, thank you," Link replied smiling, coming up the bird. Navi landed on his shoulder, and he noted she also looked very pleased.

"Splendid, you'll have to recount to me what happened, I'd love to know. I may be wise, but not all knowing, hoot! Grab on to my talons, and hold on tight!"