I wish some people read the author's note. However, my intention of what really was happening will be revealed in this chapter. Also know that I know what is going to happen, so I have been thinking everything for this story out. I know what direction I want to go and I am letting you all know it's working the way I originally planned. I am carefully editing this story and finalizing things. It will be edited and updated perhaps once a week from here on out, hopefully if things go well. Enough of me talking, enjoy the next part.

-Twin Trials-

Link brought Epona to a gallop, as he headed for Kakariko Village. Noting that Rinku was gone, he could now use Epona for safe transportation. He frowned, thinking about Rinku. He was visibly upset when he realized that Rinku was gone. He couldn't help, but wonder if Rinku was gone for good or if he was in trouble of some sort. He felt a jolt of pain run through his chest. He gripped his chest, but it was suddenly gone.

Link blinked, thinking. 'What was that?' He directed his attention in the direction of Castle Town. Why was he drawn to Castle Town? What was going on that made his blood run cold? He frowned, thinking it could be the fact that he knew Ganondorf was off in that direction. But as he continued towards Kakariko, he realized there was something more.

"Aah," he let out a frustrated cry. Navi zipped out from his hat, giving him a question look.

"What's wrong?" She asked quietly, not wanting to anger the young teen any further.

Link let out a groan, looking in the direction of Castle Town again. "I.."his voice trailed off. He bit his lower lip. He kept his sapphire hues towards the Town. After a few minutes, he finally spoke. "I have a really bad feeling and it's not concerning Ganondorf either." Realization washed over him, as he felt himself grow pale. "Rinku..." He muttered.

"Rinku?" Navi squeaked. "You don't think that Ganondorf has him, do you?" She shivered at the thought, staring at Link.

"It would make sense," Link commented, slowing Epona down to a canter. He waited until she stopped completely, before he looked at Navi. "Think about it. Rinku wouldn't have helped us the way he did and just vanish. Something had to happen to him for him to just disappear without a trace. And now suddenly I am getting bad feelings about Ganondorf? No, I believe he has Rinku."

Navi looked towards Castle Town and then she looked at Link. "What's your plan?" Her question was soft, as she landed on his shoulder. Link's shoulders sagged slowly, as he looked defeated.

"I...I am not sure," he admitted. "I don't have a plan as of yet." He couldn't help, but continue to stare. 'Please Rinku, if Ganondorf has you...I promise you I will save you! He'll pay if he hurts you at all!'

"Hero?" A voice whispered. He turned and saw Sheik.

"Sheik," he whispered, seeing the sheikah straightened up.

"Where is the Hero of Twilight?" Zeruda accidentally asked the question, causing Sheik to growl at her.

"Hero of Twilight?" Link asked confused. Then his sapphire hues widen in realization and shock. "You know who Rinku is, Sheik?"

'You are finishing this conversation,' Sheik demanded. 'I am not sure how to explain this one.'

"The Sage of Light informed me of who he really is," Zeruda explained. "It's crucial to this mission, but Link. You still haven't answered me. Where is he?"

Realizing Zeruda called Link by his first name, Sheik face palmed in her mind. 'You are such an idiot! A Sheikah does not call any hero by their name. Titles like Hero of Time and Hero of Twilight are good enough.'

'Can it, Princess of No Emotions,' Zeruda had enough of her ancestor's comments, remarks, and insults. 'I will call them what I want.'

Link looked at Navi, before looking at Sheik. "I..I believe he has been captured by Ganondorf." Sheik's eyes widen in horror, as Zeruda gasped in Sheik's mind. "That is what I was discussing with Navi. We successfully saved the Forest Temple and rid it of any evil. The Sage of Forest, my friend Saria, has been awakened." Link rubbed his forehead, furrowing his eyebrows. "I am just terribly worried for him. He is my descendant and now he could be in danger. I understand how crucial this mission is, but I need to save him from Ganondorf."

"No," Sheik snapped. "If you go to Ganondorf, your current power wouldn't stand a chance against him."

"I can't let Rinku die," Link retorted, fists began forming at his sides. He was shaking in anger. Sheik and Zeruda were surprised to see how much Link cared for Rinku and how far he was willing to go to save him. "He is important to me." Link bowed his head. He felt like crying, but no tears fell. He tightened his fists, raising his head, looking at Sheik. "You are my guide, are you not?" Sheik only nodded. "Then I am asking you to help me. Help me save Rinku."

Sheik sighed. "Let's just say by chance, we managed to make it past all of Ganondorf's minions and the King of Evil himself. Do you honestly believe he wouldn't have tried using his magic on the hero to turn him against you?"

Link felt his blood run cold. He never thought of the possibility of Rinku being evil nor did he think about it ever occurring. The thought never crossed his mind. "I know he would never hurt me." His voice sounded as though he was trying to convince himself.

"Do you believe that or just trying to convince yourself?" Sheik asked, crossing her arms across her chest. Link looked torn, wanting to save his descendant, but he knew he wasn't strong enough yet. He made a fist, sighing in defeat. Sheik and Zeruda saw the stubborn gleam in his frown, knowing he wasn't going to Ganondorf. "How about I make this promise to you," Sheik finally spoke, surprising Link and Zeruda. "After you beat the Water Temple, you may have acquired enough power to try to save Rinku. Would you allow me to help you after you successfully cleanse the Water Temple?"

Link raised a brow, realizing Sheik used his descendant's actual name. A smile crossed his lips and he gave her a nod. "Thank you." A smile crossed the Sheikah's lips though Link couldn't see it.

"So is this a horse from Lon Lon Ranch?' Sheik asked in a neutral voice. She didn't want Link knowing she was spying on him kissing the beautiful farm girl.

Link scratched Epona behind the ear, causing the horse to nuzzle into his chest. He let out a soft laugh. "Yeah, this is my dear friend, Epona. One of the fastest horses in all of Hyrule. At least that is what I was told, haha." He turned to his horse. "This is my friend Sheik, one of my friends." Sheik felt her heart contract painfully. He certainly had a innocence about him. He truly thought as a child. Would he really be the one to save Hyrule?

Sheik shook her head. "It's a pleasure to meet your horse." She approached the horse and cautiously placed her taped hand on the horse. The horse didn't pull away, but she didn't move either. Link was slightly shocked to see Epona not react in anyway.

"You must have something about you, because she doesn't warm up to strangers," he whispered. Navi only smiled, watching the scene in silence.

"She is a beautiful horse," Sheik replied, ignoring Link's statement. She didn't know exactly how to respond to it. When she was younger, she had met Epona as Princess Zelda, perhaps the horse remembered her. She bit her lip, gently pulling away. "Do you know where you are to go to next, hero?"

Link gave a nod. "If I remember correctly, you stated 'one on a high mountain.' So I am guessing since there is lava and it's extremely hot, is there a fire temple up there?" Sheik nodded and Link smiled. "So the gorons, right? I get to see Darunia again." Navi was excited, because she liked Darunia." Sheik only nodded.

"I'll see you there." She threw a deku nut on the ground and vanished.

"How does he do that?" Link wondered out loud. He mounted Epona, before he looked toward Castle Town. "I promise to save you Rinku, after the Water Temple."

x~X~x

Rinku let out a small scream, as Ganondorf plunged a scorching, hot poker into the hero's left leg. The young man bit his lower lip, while the evil King twisted it. A small whimper escaped his lips. Ganondorf pulled it out roughly, causing Rinku to hold back a cry. He re-opened his eyes, taking in several deep breaths. Blood began to fall from the wound. After he realized that Ganondorf's illusion about Link using him was false, he stated that he would never work for him.

In a fury, the King of Evil decided to tortured the Hero of Twilight into working for him. Rinku wasn't budging and Ganondorf was growing impatient with him. He placed his mouth beside Rinku's pointed ear. "You know, if I combine my triforce with yours, perhaps you could see your family again. Colin, Rusl, Uli, Midna..." Rinku gasped softly, as the beautiful image of the Twilight Princess filled his mind. He had no idea how Ganondorf knew all of this, but at the moment he didn't care. Tears filled his eyes, Midna's image burned into his mind. He missed her like crazy and his heart ached for her presence. He just wanted to hug her and tell her how much she meant to him. Although he was falling for another, he admitted he did have feelings for her.

"I-You...you have to be lying," Rinku choked out. The blood loss was taking it's toll on the hero. "How do you even know who anyone is?"

Ganondorf let out an evil laugh. "I know everything, hero. About Zant, about Midna, your adopted family, about the Twilight. And I was thinking perhaps the Hyrule of this time would look beautiful in it." Rinku's eyes widen. "No need to worry, I have other plans. Bigger and dangerous plans." Rinku's weary eyes followed Ganondorf, as he formed a dark ball in his hands. His eyes widen in horror, realizing what it was. Once he saw Ganondorf swing his arm in his direction he shut his eyes.

Rinku opened his mouth and let out a scream of agony and pain, as the dark light washed over his body. He struggled against the chains that held him in place, forcing him to stand there and take it. After a minute, Ganondorf lowered his hand and Rinku hung from the chains. His entire body was quivering from the pain, while the teen tried to control his breathing.

"You look like your in pain," Ganondorf mused. Rinku raised his defiant azure hues to the wicked man. "You know, I think if I use my magic and the triforce, I could have a lot of fun with you." Rinku swallowed, while he watched Ganondorf summon another dark ball of energy. He looked at Rinku. "All you have to do is say you'll work for me and I'll stop hurting you."

Rinku narrowed his eyes. "I have six words for you, Ganondorf. You can forget it you monster!" Ganondorf frowned and aimed his hand at Rinku again. This time, Rinku bit down on his lower lip, trying with all of his might not to scream. Ganondorf added more power, as Rinku began to lose the battle. Finally after resisting for nearly a minute, a scream erupted from Rinku's lips. Ganondorf smiled because it was like music to his ears. He lowered his hand after a few minutes. Rinku's entire body was visibly trembling. He tried in vain to stand on his legs to relieve the strain on his wrists. He let out a small whimper, trying to ignore the pain raging through his body.

His azure eyes were watching Ganondorf, who looked quite pleased with himself. Rinku tried to think of a way out, but he was in too much pain to even think. Ganondorf certainly knew how to deal pain to his enemies. Ganondorf placed his mouth close to the Hylian's pointed ear. "I suppose you're wondering how I know all about you, aren't you?" Rinku didn't even bother asking. All he did was glare at Ganondorf, who grinned widely. "Well I suppose I'll tell you, considering you'll end up dying or being mine." Rinku shuddered at his words. "I am the Ganondorf of your time, Rinku." Rinku's eyes widen. "In truth, I am also the Ganondorf of this time. I am the same person. When Link apparently destroyed me, I was sealed in the Sacred Realm. Then the Sages of your time were to execute me. They failed and in a panic, banished me to the Twilight Realm. I am sure you know the story from there. But to explain why I am here, let us say your presence caused a rift, and my death was apparently prevented. I have all my memories in tact. Thank you for saving me, hero."

Rinku closed his eyes, knowing the story from there. How Ganondorf used Zant and gave him untold abilities. Then how Zant overthrew Midna, turning her into a powerless imp. "Interesting, so why tell me?" Rinku retorted, reopening his eyes.

Ganondorf stared at the defiant teen in silence. His golden orbs watching him. Suddenly he moved away from the teen, his hands at his sides. "Well, you are going to help me destroy this world, thus killing you in the process." Rinku's eyes widen in horror. The grin on Ganondorf's face widen. "Oh the fun I will have with you. I know you will not submit to me so easily, but I don't need you to even want to work for me." He raised his right hand, showing off his triforce of power. "This triforce gives me untold powers that I plan on using on you. I don't know if you will be able to defy the power of the triforce. With this, you were doomed to serve me before I even tried." Ganondorf laughed, as Rinku watched him.

If what he spoke was true, Rinku was only hours away from being his. He twisted uncomfortably, standing on his legs. The wound in his left leg continued to bleed, causing Rinku to stifle a cry. He saw Ganondorf summon pure dark energy and he walked to stand in front of Rinku. He grabbed the hero by his chin, causing Rinku to bite his lower lip. "I'll give you one last chance, hero. Work for me or suffer the untold pain."

Rinku jerked his chin away. "Screw you!" Ganondorf narrowed his eyes and smirked. He pressed the palm holding the dark energy against Rinku's chest, causing the hero to scream in pain. "No! Stop it!" Rinku never experienced such pain before and all he could do was scream, as Ganondorf kept his hand pressed against his chest. The pain was so overwhelming, he felt his consciousness fading. 'No, this can't happen! Link, everyone...' He passed out, as Ganondorf smirked widen in pleasure.

x~X~x

Link arrived at entrance to Kakariko Village, turning to Epona. "Thank you girl." He dismounted and pulled out a sugar cube. He held it in front of Epona and she eat it. She then nibbled against Link's hand as he grinned happily.

Navi zipped out of his hat. "She loves you a lot, Link."

Link scratched Epona behind her ear. "I love her too, Navi. Now you wait here for Navi and I." The horse seemed to nod, like she understood Link. Link walked up the stairs leading to the village with Navi flying beside him. This was the second time Link came to the village as on adult. It didn't look any different except some villagers were looking towards Death Mountain with a look of horror. Link turned and he gasped. Death Mountain had a glowing pinkish-purple ring around it. The evil it was giving off, Link could feel it. The sky around the village was cloudy and droplets of rain fell from the sky.

"Link," Navi uttered in shock. Link only nodded, as he made his way through the village. He was going to go save the Gorons, now knowing for certain they were in trouble. Link made it to where the gate and guard once stood when he was a child. He made a fist and began to make his way up the mountain. He noticed a red tektite trying to hide behind a small boulder. Then Link noticed a massive boulder coming at him. He make a jab at the tektite, who just noticed him. He slashed it with his sword. "Link, move!" Just as Navi shouted, Link finished the tektite. He moved out of the way of the massive boulder, causing it to miss him by several inches.

"Well one down, one to go," Link whispered to Navi, who flew under his head. He made his way up the path and killed the other red tektite, biding between two boulders. As he was about to continue, he stopped and saw a boulder roll past him. He then hurried up the path and noticed some boulders falling from the top of Death Mountain. He then made his way to Goron city and stopped. It looked deserted. "Where is everyone?"

"I don't know," Navi replied, until she perked up. She looked and saw a small goron rolling. "Hey Link, look." He looked in the direction she was and noticed a small goron. Link made his way to the second level and saw the goron rolling close.

Link jumped out of the way before he got ran over. "How do I get him to stop?" Link asked.

Navi thought about it. "Bombs. Maybe the explosion will get his attention." Link looked perplexed, but withdrew a bomb. It dropped it, just as the goron was rolling by. He moved out of the way as it went out. The goron stopped rolling.

"How could you do this to me? You, you're Ganondorf's servant. Hear my name and tremble! I am Link, Hero of the Gorons." The goron uncurled himself, looking at Link with angry eyes.

"Link? That's my name," Link replied, looking at the goron.

The goron appeared shocked. "What? Your name is also Link? Then you must be the legendary Dodongo Buster and Hero, Link."

Link scratched the back of his head, chuckling. "Yeah that's me. I remember defeating them all and ending the starvation for the gorons."

The goron named Link offered a small smile. "My dad is Darunia..Do you remember him?" Link gave a small smile and nodded. "Dad named me Link after you, because you're so brave! It's a cool name. I really like it. Link, you're a hero to us Gorons. I'm so glad to meet you! Please give me your autograph! Sign it: 'To my friend, Link of the Gorons'."

"Is it really a good time too?" Navi asked, sitting on Link's shoulder.

The little goron's smile faded and he looked scared. "Oh I guess it's not a good time to ask for this, please help everyone. My dad, Darunia, went to the Fire Temple. A dragon is inside! If we don't hurry up, even my dad will be eaten by the dragon. Boo-hoo-hoo."

Link gasped, as Navi's eyes widen. "Oh my gosh." He noticed the little goron was crying. He looked at Navi.

"You'd better try to calm him down Link," Navi suggested. She brightened. "Oh I know. Let's ask him something, ask about the dragon."

Link looked at the goron. "Hey Link, tell me about Volvagia, the dragon."

Link-goro looked up at him. "A long time ago, there was en evil dragon named Volvagia living in this mountain. The dragon was so scary. It ate gorons. Using the huge hammer, the hero of the Gorons...BOOOM! Destroyed it just like that. This is a myth from long ago, but it's true. I know because my dad is a descendant of the hero." The young goron bowed his head, thinking of his father. He thought the monster was going to eat him.

Link looked at Navi again. "Now what?"

"Hmm..why don't you asked about the gorons," Navi whispered into Link's pointed ear. He nodded, looking at the goron.

"But what about the gorons?" Link asked. "Where are they now?"

"Everyone was taken to the Fire Temple," the young goron exclaimed. "While my dad was out, Ganondorf's followers came and took them all away. All of them will be eaten by Volvagia."

Link looked perplexed. "I thought that Volvagia was an ancient dragon , though. How was she revived?"

"Dad said that Ganondorf has revived Volvagia," Link-goro explained. "But now, as a warning to those who might oppose him, Ganondorf is going to feed them all to Volvagia. Dad went to the Fire Temple all by himself to try to save everyone."

"He what?" Link shouted in shocked.

The young goron bowed his head, "Please help Link, I'll give you this heat resistant tunic." He turned and went to a small chest. He opened it and pulled out a red tunic and matching cap. "With the magic the fairy grated you as a child, this tunic will prevent you from roasting." Link smiled as he took the tunic. The door leading to Darunia's room opened.

"I'll be back with your father and the other gorons," Link flashed the little goron a thumbs up and a smile. He hurried down towards Darunia's room and looked around. He removed his green tunic and replaced it with the red one. Then he also replaced his green floppy cap with the red one. "Now what?" Navi and Link began to look around. Navi tried to look behind the statue.

"I think there's an opening here," Navi commented. Link came over and investigated. He looked thoughtful, as he looked at the statue. He stood in front of it, grabbed the toes of the statue, and pulled it forward. Immediately, the room grew heavy from the heat of the volcano.

"Ugh," Link commented, raising an arm to his face. "Ready for this, Navi?" The little fairy nodded, as Link made his way into the crater. He walked over to a broken bridge and noticed there was a symbol of the royal crest that he could use to teleport there if needed. He took out his hookshot and saw a ledge. He hooked onto it and let himself drop onto the rest of the bridge. Standing above lava made him uneasy as he tried to walked across the bridge.

Suddenly, Sheik appeared, startling the young hero. "It is something that grows over time..A true friendship. A feeling in the heart that becomes even stronger over time..The passion of friendship will soon blossom into a righteous power, and through it, you will know which way to go..This song is dedicated to the power of the heart..Listen to the Bolero of Fire." She withdrew her lyre and began to play the tune for Link. Link withdrew his ocarina and played the beautiful tune on it. "Link, I'll see you again." As Sheik took a few steps back, Link tried to follow.

Suddenly a wall of fire prevented him from following his guide and once the wall of fire dropped, she was gone from sight. "Again?" He asked, slightly irritated. "Oh well, let's go." He looked at his fairy who nodded. He made his way to the entrance and noticed a ladder. He looked down and noticed how dark it looked. He swallowed and let out a sigh. He then began to slowly descend down the ladder. After a minute or two, he finally made it to the bottom. He entered the temple and his eyes widen.

He saw two fire bats flying around. He withdrew his bow and arrow and shot them both. He walked up the staircase and noticed two doors. One door was locked, while the other door he could walk through. "I need a key, so I guess we go through that door first." Link commented, as Navi followed him. He opened the door and was shocked to who he saw. "Darunia?" He called out.

The big goron looked at him in shock. "Who's there? Is that you, Link?"

Link's eyes widen in surprise and he smiled. "Yeah Darunia, it's me."

Darunia smiled. "Oh it really is Link. You've grown so big since I last saw you."

"Yeah it's been 7 years," Link whispered, thinking about it. Everyone seemed to have lived all those years, except for him.

"I want to have a man-to-man talk with you, but now's not the time," Darunia stated. "Ganondorf is causing trouble on Death Mountain again! He has revived the evil, ancient dragon Volvagia. On top of that, he is going to feed my people to the evil dragon as a warning to other races that might resist him. If that fire-breathing dragon escapes from the mountain, all of Hyrule will become a burning wasteland."

Link gasped, "No, we can't let that happen. Darunia, what are you going to do?"

Darunia looked concerned. "I will go on ahead to try to seal up the evil dragon. I'm concerned, though, because I don't have the legendary hammer. But I have no choice. "

"Wait, Darunia, " Link cried. "Don't do it. We can together. Let me help you."

"Link I'm asking you to do this as my Sworn Brother," Darunia commented. "While I'm trying to deal with the dragon, please save my people."

"Darunia wait," Link tried desperately reaching a arm out to his friend.

"The prisoners' cells are in the opposite direction," Darunia replied. "I'm counting on you, Link." Darunia went through the door and Link stared in shock.

"He went to deal with the dragon," Link whispered. "But why? He doesn't have the ancient hammer that his son and he both mentioned. Navi, we have to find this hammer and save him." The fairy nodded.

"He mentioned the cells are in the opposite direction, but you have no key to get through the door," Navi commented.

Link only nodded, until he noticed a lone prison cell. "Look, it's a prisoner cell. Maybe there's a goron in there I can save." Link jumped from platform to platform and until he made it safely to the cell. He stepped on the switch and the door to the cell opened up.

The goron got up to his feet, looking at Link. "Are you releasing me? Am I free to go?' Link nodded, before the goron continued. "I'll tell you a secret for saving me. In order to get to the room where Darunia went, you have to do something about the pillar stuck in the ceiling. Find a path that leads to a room above the ceiling right away." He noticed the goron leave and looked away. He noticed a small chest. He opened it and pulled out a key.

"There we go," Navi commented. It seems that Ganondorf hid the keys were the prisoners."

"So for each goron I find, I'll gain a key," Link responded. "That's convenient for me. Dumb for him to make that mistake." Link went into the room where he first entered the temple and went to the other side. He looked at Navi, when he withdrew the key. 'You ready?" She nodded. Link unlocked the door, opened the door, and then let out a gasp.

Author's Note: So sorry this chapter came out rather late, but I am happy with the end result. I am planning on releasing this next chapters in a weekly fashion, if I don't get glued or distracted, which easily happens to me haha. Anyways, let me know what you all think. Thanks.