Sunlight shines down onto the weathered stones of an ancient temple. Vines and tree roots cling to the stone, competing for the sunlight. Animals stir amongst the foliage, the rustling of leaves and their chatter catching the attention of a young girl, standing in the midst of the exposed chamber. She turns to look behind her. The image of a crumbled altar is obscured by a shiny metal frame. It's sheen and build, so alien from the dusty ruins around it. She steps away from the altar and turns towards the path ahead, beckoning her deeper into the temple.
She hops across the divided platforms and gazes down a stairwell leading into the shadowy interior. A large imposing room welcoming her in. Vines coat the wall, their flowers painting the room. Undistracted, she continues forward. As she steps into the next room, she sees the rest of the temple cut off by an imposing chasm. Tangled trees and roots reach out from the bottomless abyss, with no sign of their origin. The one thing stitching together the two halves of the ruins together is a shiny metal bridge. The end of the bridge gouged into the old stone. The girl sets one foot on the metal, leaning into it to test it's strength. She steps forward. Holding the railing, she puts her full weight on the bridge. It remains firm. She steps carefully across the chasm, her fingers playing with a small blue crystal pendant hanging from her neck.
"Hello? Is there anyone there?" She calls out.
Her words echo through the room. She waits to hear an answer, but the ruins remain silent. She continues onto the other side of the chasm, stepping back onto the stone. The path continues forward, so forward she goes.
Until her echoing footsteps are matched with another's.
She turns back, trying to locate the sudden new sound. Step after step, the footsteps come closer from the direction she already came.
"Hello?" She calls out to the footsteps.
She sees a shadow reach the bottom of the staircase and step into the large room behind her. It continues to walk forward. The speckled light of the broken ceiling revealing glimpses of the shadow's form. Golden and green scales catch the light, horns sit proudly on the figure's head. A spiked shell sitting upon it's back as armor.
Seeing the immense figure, the girl turns and bolts deeper into the ruins.
"Hey!" Bowser roars, lurching forward to catch up.
The girl runs into the next room. The center is taken up by a smaller chamber. It's walls broken open, making the rest of the room visible. The pounding footsteps race towards her. She runs to the side, seeing multiple doors going every direction. She shrinks back, quickly glancing between the doorways. The pounding footsteps rapidly approach her. She hides against a section of wall opposite of the door she entered from. She stills her breathing, focusing on the footsteps as they run into the room. They approach from her right. She runs to her left and to the nearest doorway. Bowser rounds the center structure in time to see her pass through the door.
"Get back here!" He growls as he continues his chase.
The girl's getaway stops quickly as the path drops into murky water. Bowser reaches the doorway and sees how she cornered herself.
"Gwahaha, did you really think you could get away?" He laughs.
He grabs her arm and pulls her closer. He picks her up and holds her under his arm. She squirms and kicks, but his grip remains firm.
He starts walking back in the direction they both came from.
"Let me go!" She screams.
"Calm down, you'll be fine-" He mutters. She kicks again and he slightly loses his grip, but he regains it.
"Would you stop squirming?! You're just hurting yourself!" He groans.
"Someone help me!" She cries out.
He ignores her and keeps walking. He hears a foot grind against the stone behind him. As he turns a small pellet hits him in the eye. He flinches and goes to rub his eye. The girl slips out from under his arm. She to. A man stands in the middle doorway. He runs towards her and Bowser, putting away a slingshot into the satchel around his waist. She slows, only for the man to gesture to the door.
"Go through that door and keep going straight. It'll lead you outside!" He commands. She follows his direction. As she continues to run to the door, the man gets between her and Bowser. He growls and turns to the man.
"Link?! Where did you- That girl has to come with me!"
He claws at the floor, using his powerful arms and legs to charge full speed at Link. In one fluid motion, Link swipes Bowser in the head with the shield on his wrist. With his momentum redirected, Bowser grinds to a stop and turns back to where Link stood. He can only process for a second that Link is no longer there before a sword presses against his jaw.
"Leave." Link demands.
Bowser throws his head back, throwing Link back in the process. Pushing off with his arms, Bowser charges towards the exit and towards the girl. Link just as quickly gets up and chases after. As Bowser makes it to the next room Link reaches into his satchel and pulls out a clawshot. He fires it above Bowser into the room. The claws hook onto the vine covered stones, yanking Link at great speeds towards it. As he gains on Bowser, he runs up his shell and jumps, allowing the clawshot to pull him ahead. Distracted by the impact, Bowser lingers in the doorway. The girl, also distracted by Link, lingers by the opposite doorway. Link fires his second clawshot at Bowser. It takes hold of his collar pulls him towards Link, only to fall into the sludgy, stagnant water filling the lower portion of the room.
"Keep going!" Link calls out to the girl, retracting the clawshot back from Bowser.
She continues running forward. Bowser surfaces and looks towards Link.
"If you continue, I will not hold back. This is your only warning." Link asserts.
Bowser slowly climbs out of the water and back onto the walkway. Quickly he turns to link, a fiery breath charged in his throat. He fires at Link, who quickly clawshots to another set of vines.
"Stay out of my way!" Bowser snarls as he continues pursuing the girl again. Link jumps to the ground and chases after.
The girl runs through the final winding hall of the ruins and steps out into the surrounding forest. She stumbles into the light, trying to find the right path forward as her eyes adjust. Bowser bursts from the exit. She tries to run but Bowser grabs her by the arm. She starts to struggle, but he just ignores her and takes a deep breath. As Link races from the exit Bowser floods the entryway in fire. The girl flinches from the intense heat, but can't pull her eyes away from the attack. She watches for any sign of Link, but can't see anything past the flames. Through the flames, flies an arrow. The arrow stabs Bowser through the cheek. He roars in pain and the fire dissipates. He however keeps a hold on the girl. From around the side of the temple, Link sprints towards the two. As Bowser pulls out the arrow, Link slices into his arm with his sword. Bowser, unable to keep his grip, drops the girl who quickly retreats back to the entryway of the temple. She takes refuge behind one of the large stone pillars, watching the two of them.
Link glances at the now removed arrow, and the wound on Bowser's arm. He then stares Bowser in the eye, and Bowser stares back. Bowser readies a fiery breath and Link leaps back. Bowser fires and Link runs to the side. Bowser turns to try and keep up, but Link stays ahead of the flame. As Bowser's breath begins to falter, Link ducks beneath the remaining flame and slices through the scutes on Bowser's chest. Bowser coughs and falls to his knees. Link steps back and Bowser clutches his chest. Link examines his blade and sees no blood.
"You are using your trophy." Link observes.
Bowser coughs. "Yes…" He growls. "And I still need her-"
He glances towards where the girl is sheltering. In a desperate attempt, he shoves Link away and charges towards her. Before Bowser can reach the step of the ruins, Link slices through his neck.
Bowser explodes into a burst of light. His static trophy falls to the ground, landing at the steps.
Shaken, the girl steps back and looks to Link. He puts his sword away and steps towards the trophy.
The girl looks up at him, then back at the trophy. "Did you kill him?"
"No." He responds blankly, watching the trophy.
She continues to stare.
He looks up at her, his serious expression fading into a gentle smile. "You're safe now, I promise."
The girl looks at him, still clearly upset.
"Where… Where am I?" She says shakily. "I was just walking home and I woke up here." She begins to panic, "Where am I? I don't know where I-" She clutches the pendant around her neck.
Link notices scratches down the girl's arms. "Let me take you to the nearby village. I can tend to your wounds and help you find your way home."
The girl glances over her arms. She fiddles with the pendant. She steps out from behind the pillar and to the top of the steps. She looks over the trophy, Bowser's static pose staring through her.
Link glances at the trophy, then behind himself. "One moment-"
He gestures for the girl to stay put. He walks up to Bowser's trophy and grabs it. He drags it towards the forest, which is sectioned off by a much larger chasm. With a swift kick, he shoves Bowser's trophy into the darkness.
He turns back to the girl. "I'm Link. What's your name?"
"I'm Hazel" She replies.
"I promise that I'll keep you safe, Hazel." He responds kindly.
"... Thank you…"
Hazel comes down the steps and catches up with Link. He begins walking over to a well worn wooden bridge leading deeper into the woods. Hazel follows him across. As she walks, she takes in her new surroundings. Small animals scurry beneath the bushes lining the path. Birds sing their songs in the treetops. As the bridge ends, a faint dirt path leads the way. They step under the shade of the forest. The path winds between cliffs and trees, eventually ending at a stone gateway. As they step through the gate, a small village can be seen dotted around the base of a giant overshadowing tree.
They step into the village. The sun begins to dip below the leaves. People walk past the two of them as they finish up their tasks for the day. Hazel looks at the surrounding buildings, homes well lived in, complimenting the backdrop of the forest. Link guides Hazel towards a larger building.
They step inside. A cheerful greeting rings from a keeper behind the counter. The soothing warmth of a fire chasing away the cooler outside air. Link gives her a reassuring look, as she steps closer to the fireplace. Link talks to the keeper as Hazel stares into the fire, enjoying its contained warmth. A far cry from mere moments ago.
A gentle hand on her shoulder breaks her from her trance. "Let's go."
Hazel stands and follows him further into the building. He leads her to a dining area. She takes a seat near the wall. Link sets down his weapons at the foot of the table and steps away. Hazel takes in more of the room. People are eating, drinking, and sharing pleasantries around her. Bookshelves line the wall beside her. Tapestries and woven cloths decorate the others. Hazel glances around at the books besides her. She pulls one out and starts to page through it. Sketches of small animals and tools dot the pages, accented by an unfamiliar language. She continues paging forward and finds her attention hooked by a large drawing. The art takes up the two pages and depicts multiple strange animalistic figures. Hazel stares at the drawing, trying to make sense of the creatures. Link steps back up to the table, two plates of food in hand. Hazel picks the book off the table and Link sets a plate in front of her. He takes a seat across from her.
"Those are the light spirits." Link states, looking over at the book. "They're guardians over the provinces of Hyrule."
"Oh-" Hazel mumbles, staring at the artistic rendition, fascinated by the odd figures.
Link reaches into his satchel and pulls out a bottle of red liquid. He offers it to Hazel.
"Drink this, it'll help heal your wounds."
Hazel sets the book back on the shelf and takes the bottle. She opens it and takes a small sip. Her face winces at the taste, but she takes another sip. Link pulls out a second bottle with a different colored liquid. Alongside the second bottle he pulls out a roll of bandages. He offers a hand, gesturing to the scratches on her arm.
"May I?"
"Oh, thanks" Hazel responds sheepishly, offering her scratched arm as she sets the remaining red potion back on the table.
Link pours the liquid onto the bandage and wraps it around the scratches. Hazel flinches at first from a sudden sting, but then feels the pain in her arm fade. She pulls her arm back, fiddling with the edge of the bandage.
"Thank you…"
Link tends to his own wounds. As he applies the liquid to more bandages, Hazel notices the extent of burns down his arm and side of his face. Hazel shrinks back.
"I'm sorry…" She whimpers.
"What for?" Link responds with a concerned look.
Hazel picks at the edge of the bandage, "It's my fault you got hurt…"
Link's face softens into a smile, "Why would it be your fault?"
Hazel shrugs and looks to the floor.
"I heard you call for help, so I wanted to help. My injuries are nothing major."
Hazel picks at her food. She takes a slow bite.
"Who was that back in the ruins? You seemed to know him." Hazel asks, taking another bite of food.
"His name is Bowser. We fought each other in a tournament years ago." Link looks to the floor for a moment and sighs. "He shouldn't be here. He belongs to another world. I can only hope our fight put a stop to anything he was planning."
"Another world?" Hazel asks.
"There's a lot of worlds that exist alongside ours. Sometimes people overstep their boundaries and cross into where they don't belong." Link pulls out a worn journal from his satchel.
"This place feels like a completely different world…" Hazel mumbles.
Link opens up to a map which had been carefully folded into his journal. "This is a map of Hyrule and some of the surrounding lands. Where are you from? I can escort you back home."
Hazel stares at the map, "I… I don't recognize this area at all…"
"Are you from a different land?" asks Link as his finger turns the pages of his journal.
Hazel thinks for a moment. "I'm from…" She pauses. As she glances around, looking for her thoughts, Link leans closer to her, "Is everything alright?"
"It's strange… I know my home. I can see it. But I can't think of the name…" She looks more concerned, "I can't think of my parents either… Why can't I remember their faces?!"
Her eyes, still darting around, begin to tear up. "How did I get here? What's happening to me?"
Link gives a gentle sigh and smiles. "Today was stressful. With some rest your memories may come back."
"Maybe…" She sighs.
"We can figure everything out in the morning. For tonight, please focus on regaining your strength."
Hazel nods, "Okay-"
She returns her attention to the plate of food in front of her. Link begins eating his own portion. As she takes bites, her legs begin to tremble. They ache, screaming from the burst of activity they had endured. Her stomach growls as a wave of exhaustion washes over her. Bite after bite, Hazel hastily finishes her food. She sits back, again just taking in her surroundings. Exhaustion visible on her face. As she stares off into the room, her hand drifts up to her pendant. Her fingers play with the blue crystal mindlessly. As it catches the light of the nearby candle, Link's attention is drawn to it.
"Your pendant is very pretty." Link compliments.
Hazel snaps out of her trance and looks down at it.
"O-oh, I forgot I had this thing."
She holds it up and looks at it, "I don't know where I got it, I just had it when I woke up in those ruins."
"How strange," Link replies. "It suits you though."
Hazel looks it over. "I guess it does. I like it."
She sighs, "The only thing I can remember before I woke up here was that I was walking home. I remember tall buildings around me, and I was going to take a shortcut, but then everything gets fuzzy."
Hazel yawns, and she slumps slightly in her chair. Link smiles, "Here, I can show you to your room-"
He clears the table and gathers his things. He gestures for Hazel to follow him further into the inn. She follows. They step into the back hallway. The floor creaks beneath them. As they walk, he hands her a key, "This is for you. I'll be in the room next to yours."
He stops in front of a door, "Here's yours."
He turns and unlocks his own door, once it's opened, he turns back to her. "Just knock if you need anything."
"Okay, thanks-" Hazel responds.
Link walks into his room and closes the door. Hazel unlocks her door and steps inside. She's greeted with a small bedroom. A bed and nightstand sit in one corner of the room, while a small table and chair sits in the opposite. The room is lit with a single window, the moonlight painting the room a soft blue. The bed is nothing fancy. She takes off her jacket and sets it on the chair. She takes off her shoes and hops up onto the bed. The sheets and quilted blanket are soft to the touch. She sinks into the bed, wrapping herself up in the blankets.
The string of her pendant tightens across her neck. She sits back up, letting it fall slack once again. She lifts it over her head and rests it on the nightstand besides her.
As her hand pulls away from the pendant the room becomes dark around her. Time slows. She gasps but the air does not fill her lungs. She grabs her chest. Glancing down, her hand drains of color. Her vocal cords strain, but no sound is produced. The remaining light around her begins to fade. She glances to the pendant. Her arm shakily reaches for it, her muscles feeling as if they were melting away.
Her arm slumps onto the pendant. As her fingers touch the string, light returns to the room. Strength returns to her body. She gasps as her chest fills with air. She pants, trying to recover from the previous lack of oxygen. She holds the pendant up and looks it over. She places it on the bed in front of her and pulls her hand away. The tight feeling in her chest returns. She sets her hand on the pendant again, and all feeling is restored.
She breathes heavily, trying to shake the lingering pang in her chest. She glances back at the dresser, and then to the pendant. She holds the pendant in her palm, positioning the loop of the string around her finger. With the rest of the loop, she ties the string securely around her wrist.
With exhaustion creeping back upon her, she lays back down in the bed. Tucking her pendant tied hand under her pillow she closes her eyes. The fear and anxiety filling her mind melting into the soft void of sleep.
The hours pass. The cool moonlight fades into the warm sunlight. The song of birds and the quiet chatter of people starting their day hums through the walls. Hazel, still peacefully tucked into bed, begins to stir. She opens her eyes, the pendant right in her view. She turns over in the bed again, squinting at the bright sunlight now shining in her eyes.
She groggily sits up. As her arm moves, the crystal catches the sunlight, briefly dazzling the room with dots of blue light. She flicks her wrist, sending the army of shimmers racing across the wall. The light leaves a reflective trail behind it. Puzzled, Hazel sits up, but can't make out what the trail is.
She gets up out of bed and walks over to the wall. A thin coat of ice covers the wall. She touches it, melting the delicate crystals.
She holds the pendant back up to the light, looking for any change, but sees none.
She undoes the knot from around her wrist and returns the pendant back around her neck. She steps out into the hallway. The pleasant smell of cooking pastries surrounds her. She steps down the stairs and into the small dining room from the night before. Inn keepers bring out various breads and treats for the taking. Link is sitting alone at a table, paging through a worn journal.
"Mind if I sit down?" Hazel asks, setting down a small plate of food she got for herself.
"Not at all" Link replies.
Hazel takes a few bites of food, looking at Link's journal as he turns the page.
"I guess I was really lucky you were in those ruins." Hazel shrugs. "I don't want to know what could've happened to me if you didn't save me." She takes another bite. "Why were you there anyways?"
Link stops for a moment. "I was there looking for ancient relics -"
He pages towards the front of the journal. He pulls the map from the night prior. He sets aside his journal and points out some of the marked areas.
"I've been exploring a lot of ruins lately. The history of Hyrule expands far past its current boundaries."
Hazel looks over the map, "Is that where you're from?"
"I live in the small region of Ordon, South of Hyrule." He points to Ordon village on the map. "This is Ordon here."
"Where are we? I've never heard of any of these places…"
Link points to a section of the map South East of Ordon. "We're in this area here." He points to another spot on the map, this one circled. There are various small notes written in Hylian around it. "This is the Skyview ruins. That's where I found you."
He picks up his journal and places it over the map. He slowly pages through it, showing Hazel the various sketches and notes written inside. "Some artifacts carry power within them. I'm trying to find what's left in this region."
As he turns the page, Hazel sees a familiar shape. A sketch of the odd metal frame she saw deep within the Skyview ruins.
"That looks like something I saw in those ruins."
Link sits up, "You did? I've encountered the same kind of object in multiple different places. Usually places with some significance to them. I hadn't gotten the chance to fully explore the Skyview ruins, where was it?"
"I saw it when I first woke up. It was in an outdoor chamber deeper in the ruins, in front of some stone wall."
"Oh, do you mean altar? That's what I had wanted to see. Interesting that the strange structure is also there."
They both stare at the sketch.
"I think that's where that Bowser guy came from." Hazel mumbles.
Link looks up at her.
She continues, "That room was a dead end, and he snuck up behind me. I don't think he could've been hidden anywhere else."
Link sits in silence for a moment. "You said you woke up beside it as well?"
She nods.
He sighs, "It's possible it's a portal of some kind. If you and Bowser possibly came through it- "
He pages through the journal again, pausing on a array of sketches depicting altars similar to the one Hazel saw.
"And they're all placed around areas of importance…" He sighs, "I really should give it a proper look. I now have a very bad feeling about them."
"Do you think it can take me home?" Hazel asks, finishing her plate.
Link frowns, "It's possible, but it could be dangerous."
"I know… But I can't stay here. My parents had to have noticed I'm gone by now, they'll start to worry!"
Link nods and packs away his journal.
"I understand."
He begins to clear his plate, "Are you ready to go?"
Hazel nods. She picks up her own plate and they clear the table. Link gathers his supplies and dons his armored tunic. He pays the innkeeper and they step outside. The warm sun rising above the treetops.
Link leads the way, returning back to the stone gateway. As they pass through it once again, Hazel looks back at the comfortable village, before looking ahead towards the ruins.
The trees part. The path ahead drops again into an endless abyss, only continued by a wooden bridge. They step onto the temple's grounds. The charred grass and stone standing as a reminder of yesterday's battle.
The two of them climb the steps and Link pauses at the door. He reaches up and feels the stone, bringing Hazel's attention to fresh gashes. The gashes continue down into the temple.
His expression hardens, "Stay close to me."
Hazel nods.
They step through the winding entrance. Deep cuts in the stone trail alongside them, following the path previously taken. Hazel leads Link back into the depths of the ruins. He takes a pause at the metal bridge, but they press forward.
Up the stairs and into the sunlight, the portal frame comes into view. The two of them look it over, focusing in on a terminal besides it.
"This looks like this might control it." Link says as he starts pressing a button. Hazel watches. The machine sits dormant. Link tries another button, and then a combination of buttons, none of which stir the machine.
"Do you want to try?" He asks, stepping back from the device.
Hazel steps up to the device. Link steps behind her, looking back at the door to the ruins. She presses a button, and the frame reacts slightly. Link looks back towards the device. Hazel presses a different button to the same effect. She tries to get it to do more by pressing different buttons but can't seem to get it to do anything else. She turns back to him. Right as she is about to speak, she sees Bowser looming from the temple roof. He's more monstrous in size and appearance, and his neck is aglow with flames.
"Link!" She screams.
He turns to look. Bowser fires a giant fireball towards them. Link pulls up his shield in reaction. Hazel flinches and blocks her face. The pendant on her neck shines brilliantly and a wall of ice blocks the fire. She lowers her arms and Link stares at it too.
"What did I-?!" Hazel gasps.
Link sees past the ice. Bowser roars and leaps down, inhaling and creating more fire in his throat.
"It won't hold him! I need you to hold onto me as tight as you can, understood?!"
Link grabs his clawshots and aims at a nearby tree. Hazel obeys. Link fires one of the claws at a vine across the chamber pulling them both across. A fireball bursts through the ice, scorching the temple altar and the frame. Link pushes Hazel towards the doorway as he pulls a bomb out.
"What happened to him?! Why does he look like that?!" Hazel exclaims.
"I don't know. Go inside and take cover!" Link commands as he lights the bomb and throws it at Bowser. It explodes and pulls his full attention towards Link. He growls, and with a mighty push, leaps and closes the distance between them. Link swings his sword at his head, but Bowser catches it between his extended horns. He grabs Link and throws him down at the ground. Link yells at the pain of the impact. Hazel, hearing his cry, stops running and turns around. She hurries back up the stairs just enough to see the two of them again.
Bowser raises a fist.
"No stop!" Hazel screams as she throws her hands up towards him. Bowser swings his fist down. With a rush of cold air, a thick shell of ice forms around Link. Bowser slams his fist into the ice, cracking it, but not breaking through. From within the sudden shield, Link readies himself. Bowser slams both his fists, shattering through the ice. With his cover removed, Link fires another bomb arrow at Bowser's head. The explosion shoves Bowser back and gives Link a chance to gain more ground.
Bowser turns his attention to Hazel, fury in his eyes. With a deep breath he floods the stairway with fire. Hazel ducks low and covers her head with her hands. Ice encircles her, as the flames dance around.
Seeing Bowser distracted, Link charges at Bowser, sword in hand. He jumps and swings at Bowser's throat, cutting the bottom of his jaw.
The flames stop. With a roar, Bowser picks up Link and slams him into the wall of the chamber. Link swipes at his arm, but he holds firm. Hazel emerges from her ice shell and hurries up the stairs, witnessing Bowser slam Link into the wall again.
"Link!" Hazel screams.
Bowser ignores her. He slams Link into the wall again, causing him to drop his sword. He throws him towards the altar. Link lands at the base of the metal frame, stunned and unable to get up. Bowser steps closer and closer to him, flames growing in his throat.
"Leave him alone!" Hazel screams again, running towards Bowser.
Bowser inhales, ready to unleash the flames onto Link.
"Stop!" Hazel screams as she reaches out towards Bowser. Her pendant glows and ice forms in the motion of her arm. With a horrific crunch, the ice pierces through Bowser's shell and out through his chest.
Hazel stares at what she's done.
The ice crumbles and disappears and Bowser falls to his knees. He slowly turns his head back towards her. They lock eyes. His body begins to crack and break and in an explosion of light he disappears, leaving behind the same trophy as yesterday. Hazel stares at the trophy, shaking. She looks at his shell, no longer seeing the damage.
Link groans as he tries to stand up, which shakes Hazel out of her trance. She carefully steps past Bowser's trophy before running over to Link. She reaches for him but suddenly pulls her hands back and glances down at her pendant. As she watches it, she carefully reaches for him again. Seeing no reaction from it, she helps him up.
"Are you okay?" She sheepishly asks.
He tries to stand, but can't get his footing. "I've been better-" He responds.
"Come on, we need to get some help."
She tries to lift him up again, but he falls down again. She looks back towards the stairs, then back towards Link. She steps past him. Stepping towards the metal control panel standing behind him. She presses button after button, watching the frame for any sign of life.
"Come on, you were almost working!"
The frame remains quiet.
"I need to get him help, please bring me to help."
The frame stays still. She slumps down slightly, continuing to press buttons.
"Please help us..."
With a final button press, the frame whirrs to life. Light fills between the metal pieces, creating a rippling white sheet.
Hazel steps back from the controls and back to Link. She pulls him up onto her shoulders. To the best of his ability Link tries to lessen his weight as she steps towards the light. She stares at it a moment, her foot right at the barrier.
With a deep breath she steps through the light. In an instant the scenery around them changes. She steps onto unfamiliar brick.
Hazel pulls Link another step ahead before stopping.
"Where did we end up?" Link asks, weakly holding up his head to take in the surroundings.
Hazel looks around, seeing the mangled remains of a town engulfed by nature. "I don't know... I need to get you help though, there has to be somebody around!"
Link opens his mouth as if about to speak when the two of them hear indecipherable chatter nearby.
They freeze, listening as the voices move closer and closer.
The voices stop as two figures become visible in an open doorway in front of them. Hazel and Link stare ahead, unable to make out who the figures are.
One of the figures steps forward into the light, the other following a step behind.
"Link?"
Link looks up further, visibly struggling to keep his head up.
In front of them stands a young angel, and a tall red-haired girl.