Here's Chapter 3! Hopefully you all still read these; Feedback is my only way of knowing.

Chapter 3: Road to Death Mountain

The portal dropped the two heroes at the entrance to the Lost Woods. "So," asked Sonic, "what's our next destination?"

"I believe that the next temple is the Fire Temple in Death Mountain," Link said. He pointed at a large volcano in the distance.

"Great! I'll race you there!" Sonic was about to dash off to the mountain, but Link grabbed him by the ear, stopping him his track.

"Hold it right there, speedy!" Link said to him. "Don't just run off again! I'm not as fast as you, remember?"

Sonic stopped running in place and groaned. "I guess I'll follow your lead again..."

Link let go of Sonic's ear. "Fortunately, I think I have a solution that we can agree upon," he said. Link pulled out an ocarina from his pouch and played it. After playing the song, a brown horse came galloping toward them. It approached Link and allowed him to gently pet its face. "This is my horse Epona," Link said to Sonic. "She'll give us the speed we need to get there."

Sonic gazed at the horse. He slowly approached her with his hand up, but Epona neighed and backed away. Link tugged on her straps. "Easy, girl. Easy," Link reassured the horse. "He's not gonna hurt you. He's just a new friend of mine." He looked at Sonic and gestured his head at Epona. "Go on, pet her."

Sonic touched Epona's face and gently pet her. Epona calmed down. He faced Link. "How fast can she go?"

Link smiled. "Fast enough for both of us to work with." He helped Sonic onto Epona's back, and then got himself up onto her back. Link let out a "hyah," and Epona dashed off toward the mountain. Sonic wrapped his arms around Link's body as soon as Epona started galloping. He grinned.

"You're right!" Sonic said in amazement. "She is pretty fast!"

"What'd I tell you?" Link smirked. "We'll be at the Death Mountain foothill in no time!"

In no time at all they had reached a gate to a village at the foothill of the mountain. Link and Sonic dismounted Epona and entered the village. The sign above the gate read "KAKARIKO VILLAGE".

It was a small, quiet village with houses and a windmill. However, as they entered the village, Sonic noticed something orange among a flock of white chickens. As Sonic approached it, it appeared to be a two-tailed fox. Upon this discovery, he dashed over to it.

"Tails!"

The little fox looked back at Sonic and beamed. "Sonic!" He got up and ran over to Sonic. The two of them collided and gave each other a hug.

"It's great to see you again, buddy!" Sonic said with joy. "Where have you been this whole time?"

"I was right here," Tails answered. "Somehow that light transported us into this world and we got separated. I found myself here in this village."

"I'm just glad you're alright," Sonic said. He let go of Tails.

Link walked up to the two. "So this is your friend?" he asked Sonic.

"Yep!" Tails responded. "My name's Miles Prower, but everyone calls me 'Tails'."

"He's pretty good with mechanics," Sonic said, "for someone his age."

"Interesting," Link said. This two-tailed fox seemed just as strange as his blue hedgehog friend. "So what are you doing here, exactly?"

Tails faced Link and showed him his clipboard. "I was studying these strange birds that you call 'Cuccos'. I've never seen such strange birds before."

"Just be careful with those things," Link warned. "Cuccos can be vicious little things if they're provoked."

Tails glanced at the little birds. "These things can be vicious? Interesting." Then his mind shifted to a different subject. "Are you two headed somewhere?"

Sonic snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah! We're on our way to Death Mountain. Why don't you come with us?"

"Sure!" Tails agreed. "Why not?" In his excitement he accidentally tossed his clipboard right at one of the cuccos. Link gasped in horror as he saw the cucco get hit. The cucco reared its head and let out a squawk.

"COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!"

A whole flock of cuccos came flying in straight at Link, Sonic, and Tails. They started pecking at them.

"Now look what you've done!" Link cried out amongst the squawking chickens.

"Let's get out of this crazy place!" Sonic yelled in agreement. He grabbed Link and Tails by the hand and dashed out. They rushed to the gateway to Death Mountain.

Once that were out of Kakariko Village, the cuccos stopped attacking them.

The three of them took a moment to catch their breath. "Man, you weren't kidding!" Tails panted. "Those things are vicious!"

"Death by chickens," Sonic retorted as he dusted himself off. "What a concept!"

Well, now that that is out of the way," Link said, "let's keep going. We have quite a climb to get to the top."

Sonic had an idea. He smiled at Link. "Who says we have to climb?"

Link raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Sonic faced Tails. "Tails, do you think you can carry both of us?"

"Well," Tails responded with uncertainty, "I'll try."

He began to spin his two tails around in a circle. As they spun faster and faster, Tails was lifted off the ground. Then he was practically airborne, his tails spinning like a helicopter propeller. Link was once again at a loss for words.

Tails grabbed Sonic by the hands and lifted him up. Sonic told Link to grab hold of his legs. Link, having doubt, grabbed hold of Sonic's legs and was lifted off the ground.

"Hold on tight," Tails grunted as he tried to stay in the air. "I don't know how long I can carry you guys."

"Just get us to the top," Link called out to Tails. "Do what you can."

Tails flew as best as he could, carrying the two heroes. He managed to reach a cave entrance at the top of the mountain before he fell to the ground exhausted. Link and Sonic let go of Tails and landed on the ground. Tails panted hard, catching his breath.

Sonic patted Tails on the head. "Thanks for trying, buddy."

Link focused on the cave entrance. "We can go through there," he said. "This cave leads to the Death Mountain Crater."

Sonic leaned on what he thought was a rock and looked over the edge. "At least you got us to the top!"

All of a sudden, the "rock" stood up, flipping Sonic over onto his back. The rock creature turned around. "Who's there," he gently bellowed. He turned around and saw Sonic, revealing its round humanoid body and large face. "What are you?"

Sonic gazed at the thing. "Link," he asked nervously, "what is that thing?"

Link approached the rock thing. "Pardon us, my Goron friend," he said to the thing. "We're just passing through."

The Goron yawned. "Very well, Brother. But I must ask what that thing is." He pointed at Sonic.

"Oh, don't mind him," Link reassured. "He's just a new friend of mine."

"Whatever," the Goron yawned. He curled up and went back to his nap. Sonic stared at the Goron as he curled back up.

Sonic crossed his arms. "Doesn't he know that curling into a ball is my gig?"

The Death Mountain Crater was extremely hot. Fortunately for Link, he had his heat-resistant tunic on. Sonic and Tails, however, were sweating like crazy.

As they reached the entrance to the Fire Temple, they noticed more strange things. There were pillars and ruins of an old temple that Sonic found awfully familiar. It greatly reminded him of Marble Zone. Link questioned these ruins. "Something is definitely not right here," he said. "These ruins were never here before."

"Yeah," Sonic agreed. "These once belonged in my world, yet they're here in this world."

"But how can that be?" Tails wondered.

Sonic and Link shrugged.

"Whatever it is," Sonic said as they entered the Fire Temple, "It can't mean too much, can it?"

Question: Is my pacing in this story too fast?