Revival...of an old Fic - Partial Realities

For anyone who *doesn't* remember this, my first real fic on ZU, I've decided to restart it. I'll post the first few chapters periodically for those of you who *haven't* read it, and will take that time to work on future chapters, along with my other fics. But here's Chapter One.

Link has just returned from his adventures in Termina and has decided to resume his search for Navi elsewhere. His heart leads him to Lake Hylia, and he sets off for the region immediately. As he takes his first few steps out of the forest, a dark foreboding overcomes him. What if the one place that may need him the most he leaves behind in hopes of fulfilling his selfish ambitions? After much thought, he concludes that finding Navi is worth the risk. But will he succeed, or will he again be pulled into another greater struggle, more dangerous than any adventure he will ever know? Only Time will tell…

Chapter 1 – New Adversaries

Many travelers argue that the plains of Hyrule are the most beautiful of their kind in all the world. Most people would agree. With beauty, though, often comes great danger, and the Hylian field is no exception. There is peril around every tree; risk under every stone. A vast majority of people would never think of daring even a short walk through it alone. Link, however, had braved these grasses time and time again, and did so now. He walked the land like he owned it, fearlessly cutting aside foliage and tall grass to make his travels a little easier. How many occasions had he traversed it now? Seventeen? Twenty? He didn’t care to count them.

The leaves began to rustle. Someone…or something…was following him. Whatever it was, it was approaching fast. He stopped dead in his tracks, listening closely to the sound of the leaves, trying to discern which direction the steps were coming from, but they only ceased as abruptly as he had. Hopefully whatever it was couldn’t climb trees, because that was the best plan he could come up with. He ran up the side of the nearest tree and crouched behind his Deku Shield, watching for his stalker to continue through the forested path. Eventually whoever it was would make an error. A most fatal error indeed. The pursuer seemed to think he’d disappeared, and scrambled through the trees into the small clearing where Link had originally detected his approach.

“Well it looks like he’s gone, what should we do? We can’t go back without that kid in tow,” a deep voice grumbled.

“Maybe we should ask the boss, he seems to know a lot about this kid,” another utterance responded. “I mean, he predicted that the kid would be headed this way and we had no trouble tracking him to this point.”

At this instant, two tall lizard-like figures emerged from the cover of the forest into the small rift in the otherwise endless stretch of trees. They were green, of course, and their eyes scarlet with malice and bitter hatred. Boasting large scales big enough to fashion one of those magical rings once used by Hylian wizards to summon powerful beasts from other worlds, these creatures had a tough carapace protecting them, and combined with the black obsidian armor they already wore, they were probably the most protected of foes.

They had much in common with the lizalfos that Link had sparred with in the dodongo’s cavern. The same basic head structure was there, the same green hue, however, their eyes were red rather than black, and these foes were substantially more muscular. Still, he couldn’t help but notice the similarities; even the style of their weaponry was comparable. But these new adversaries were obviously better suited for combat in all types of terrain. They wore combat boots unlike those of any other warrior race Link had ever encountered. The spiked cleats could easily climb any mountain, ford any river, or even chase after a heroic little kid through the forest.

The first one spoke again, “There’s no time to go back and ask the boss, you fool! If we did, this kid would be miles away before we got back here! Besides, I don’t think the boss would take too well to us abandoning the mission, would you?”

His partner nodded solemnly. “I don’t think it would be a very intelligent decision to find out.”

“Either way, we’ve got to find the…” the leader began, but stopped, swiveling his snakelike head to glare at something behind him. Link could just hear the barely audible noise of him sniffing the air. He jerked his head in different directions, as if trying to guess which direction the scent was coming from. “I smell blood…Hylian blood…it’s close…very close…”

The other imitated his cohort, then smiled, licking his black-red fangs with anticipation. “Let’s kill him.”

They started toward the very tree that Link had scaled. Their sense of smell was apparently very acute, because they had tracked him down quite quickly. Since he had no opening in which to leap out of the tree and make a run for it, he instead brandished his sword and came shooting down off the branch, his blade impaling his opponent’s skull. Before falling to the ground, the reptilian monster threw Link against a stump, nearly knocking him out. He barely shook it off, rolling away from the blow from the other creature’s axe. This attacker continued this barrage until Link managed to spin far enough away to pull himself off the ground.

He recovered his stance, and went rushing in to deal with his assailant. The first sword stratagem he attempted was a horizontal slash followed by a reverse uppercut, a spin slash, and finally an inverted vertical swing. But the enemy was ready, blocking every assault with the dull end of the weapon. These beasts were obviously well-trained in the art of combat.

With a bloodless scream, the lizard-beast brought down his axe, but Link raised his Hero’s Shield just in time. This retaliation sent a jolt through both fighters, knocking Link off his feet and the monster’s axe aside. Link sprang off the ground and dashed in a flurry of flying feet to claim his enemy’s dropped weapon. He could just barely lift it off the ground. The warrior seemed to realize what Link had done, and raced towards him, prepared to plow through him and anything else in his way. There would be only a few seconds before the antagonist was upon him. In the split second before he was struck, Link summoned all his strength and hurled the axe up through the villain’s head, cutting it clean off the shoulders.

“Well, that was interesting,” he remarked, sheathing his fallen sword and brushing himself off. “The closest encounter I’ve had in a long time. Much more of these skirmishes and I’ll be through.” His feet began to carry him before he had time to think about it, and he had set out once again.

“Who were those things? Better yet, what were they?” he asked himself, as if he expected the trees around him to give him an answer. Surprisingly enough, one of them did. A giant tree uprooted, and two knotholes revealed decaying eyes and a wizened face. Link was reminded of his old friend the Deku Tree. Before the ancient oak spoke, Link saw a pained expression cross the otherwise emotionless façade.

“I have the answers which you seek,” the wooden spirit echoed, his raspy voice rustling the leaves in the trees nearby.

“Who are you?” Link wondered. Never before had he encountered a talking tree outside the boundaries of the Kokiri Forest. Could this have been one of the Deku Tree’s lost seedlings?

“I am a forest spirit, the one who empowers the Sage of the Forest. I have dwelt here for many ages, watching the seasons go by, waiting for the one I have chosen to find me and finish the development of their abilities and, in doing so, become fully prepared to safeguard the mystical forces hidden in the Forest Temple,” the tree answered. Link wondered what the forest spirit was doing so far from the Lost Woods, but he assumed that it was to make the trial of discovering him all the more difficult. It had been a stroke of luck that Link had even met up with him. Saria had just recently explained to him the trials a Sage had to face before she unlocked her full potential.

First was the awakening process. Saria’s awakening had occurred just after Link emerged from the Temple of Light back into Hyrule after his seven year sleep in the Temple of Time. The awakening was the process that called a Sage to come into her Temple and receive her gift, the medallion from the Temple. After collecting the medallion, the Sage would have to remain in the Temple for a certain duration of time before the medallion’s power was infused with her own. Once that was complete, the medallion’s elemental strength would be forever linked with that of the Sage.

The second step of the transformation was to test her newfound magical skills by using her power as a Sage to travel to the Temple of Light and the Chamber of the Sages, where she would be inducted. After the induction process, she would have to find the object portrayed on the corresponding medallion and place it deep in the center of the Temple, where it would protect the Sage from dying while the medallion was outside the Temple.

And the third and final step of a Sage’s growth was to find her guardian spirit and gather his strength. After this final task, the Sage would finally be able to protect her people to the best of her ability. Apparently Saria had not yet found this place where her guardian spirit dwelt.

“So can you really answer all of those questions?” Link chimed. This tree was obviously very knowledgeable of all things and seemed to think that it could help him.

“All of those and more, young one,” the tree replied, beaming down at him, like a teacher to his student.

“What were those creatures that attacked me, then?”

“They are the dinolfos, a cross-breed between moblins and lizalfos. Just before his defeat, Ganon bred them as the perfect warrior race, and prepared them for battle. Ever since Ganon fell, his strongest minions have scattered and been forced to fend for themselves. This race stayed in the wreckage of Ganon’s Tower hidden deep in the desert. In the past year they have forged powerful weapons and strive to destroy the one who ruined their rise to power.”

“That would be me.” He gulped. He’d always thought that Ganon’s minions would be happy to be rid of the tyrant. Apparently there was more to their alliance with Ganondorf than had first met the eye. This would take investigating.

“Very observant, child. Have I answered your questions?”

“Yes, I believe you have…and I thank you! I’ll most certainly remember this spot and perhaps return if I need to consult you.”

“Good luck in your ventures, young one.”

Link bowed slightly, then turned and continued down the long winding road to Lake Hylia without another word. He still had his heart set on finding Navi, but now it seemed his search would be hindered by this little side quest. Hopefully it wouldn’t become a full-scale mission, like Termina had proven itself to be. He wound up spending almost two full months (even if it was the same three days over and over again) in the parallel land. It wasn’t long before the Spirit had faded out of sight, and Link still had energy to hike a few miles.

He broke into a run, knowing that the sooner he got to Lake Hylia, the better.

The first leaves began to fall, scattering in the cool autumn breeze…

- - - END OF CHAPTER ONE - - -

Hmmm, I don't remember seeing this the first time it was put up, of course I don't hang around this site much, which means that I don't have a clue as to what really goes on around here.

When I got close to the end, I noticed something missing, something off. Then it hit me, didn't Link have a horse when he went to Termina? Or is he going to not have his faithful Steed during his trip to Termina?

CLARIFICATION: This story is set AFTER Majora's Mask, so he has just returned from Termina. He no longer has Epona, he has sent her back to the ranch. But anyway, here's Chapter Two.

Chapter 2 – Into the Night

Link had gone nearly five miles since departing from the forest spirit’s meadow before deciding to stop and take a break for supper. The area he’d chosen for tonight’s dinner was one he’d used many times; a small grove of trees amidst the taller ones. This place allowed him to let his emotions be taken away by the breeze, an old Kokiri trick that helped to calm the mind and relax the body, allowing for heightened awareness and increased perception. Having such enhanced vision and hearing at his disposal would prove useful in a fight.

After taking a few minutes to meditate, Link set off to gather some firewood so that he could make his meal. The fish he’d caught in the stream outside his house were still fresh, seeing how he’d kept them in his many all-purpose bottles he’d collected from his quests. It took him only a few minutes to shave ideal branches off nearby trees before he had a fire going. He thought back to his first Lost Woods expedition with Saria, when they’d gotten lost deep within the forest realm, and he had to build his first fire. It had taken him awhile, but lighting a fire was like riding a horse, once you learn how, you never forget.

The Zoras had taught him how to cook fish during his week-long (technically a week) stay at Zora Hall in Termina. He’d proven that he was a worthy seafood chef when he won the cookoff in his Mikau guise. How he missed that land and all its wonderful energy. It seemed that Hyrule was always miserable, ever since the attack on the castle by Ganondorf. Link hoped he could bring the same cheeriness to his homeland and end the strife caused by all its troubles. But for now, he would have to concentrate on his meal. His fish looked rather scrumptious after he’d finished grilling it. He took his first bite, and swallowed it. There was too much salt, so it tasted bitter. Not at all like he’d expected it to be. Kind of like this land of Hyrule. At first glance, it looked as if the citizens were as happy as could be. But upon closer inspection, you’d know that each and every one of them despised the way things turned out for them.

From what he’d gathered in the forest, a strange raced called Men were venturing into the woods, cutting down trees and building houses, destroying the homes of countless Deku Scrubs. It seemed they had heard of a great power stored within Hyrule, and were colonizing their country to try and find it. These Men were notorious for demolishing everything in their path, and Link would try and deal with this unexpected invasion when the time came. But their intrusion was not yet a terrible threat, and right now he had other matters to attend to.

Like finding Navi.

After finishing off the last of the fish, Link found a soft patch of dirt and buried the bones. His thoughts drifted to home. After being away so long, he left abruptly without saying much to anyone he’d missed during his trek through Termina. It was like no one had recognized him. Had his presence in another dimension disrupted the balance of time? It was possible. Ever since Ganondorf had been defeated, strange events had taken place, such as the appearance of these strange dinolfo beasts, and the threat of Majora. What was next?

His question was soon answered by a large crashing sound coming from the direction of the south passage. After putting out his fire and burying his leftover food, he unsheathed his sword and charged in the direction of the noise, raising his shield in case of an ambush. Good thing, too. A moblin came crashing through the barrier and attempted to spear him, but Link pushed the lunge aside with his shield with the skill of an expert bullfighter. The spearhead slammed into a tree, toppling it and several others over. Before the behemoth got a chance to recover, Link quickly slung his bow off his shoulder and loosed an arrow through the creature’s neck. In its rage, the moblin swung its weapon madly, trying to knock Link out of consciousness.

It took a few quick dodges and flips to avoid the heavy tip of the specially crafted lance. He found the perfect opening and caught hold of the spear handle. When his adversary brought it over its head to try and swing him free, he simply slid down the pole and sent his sword straight into the monster’s brain. “If that didn’t kill him, I don’t know what will,” Link uttered through gritted teeth.

An unexpected answer followed. “THIS!” the monblin roared, sending a shockwave Link’s way. He back-flipped off his former foe’s shoulders and avoided the forefront of the blow. But it was still enough to knock him off his feet when he landed. The moblin was not so lucky. Link decided not to find out how unlucky. He cartwheeled to his feet and hacked madly at the goblin’s hands, trying to force his hammer out of his hands. His efforts were not successful, and not but a moment later he was in the air again.

He landed on his back. “Well that certainly left a mark…” he mumbled, massaging his back. The monblin was charging him before he could get to his feet, so he thought of the only possible tactic. He pulled out his Deku Nut and tossed it at the creature’s feet. It was momentarily blinded, and stumbled into the trees. Link took this opportunity to stab it right through the heart. The colossal beast stumbled to the ground, nearly crushing Link, who managed to remove his sword and somersault out of the way just in time.

“Geez, do they ever get any smarter?” Link mocked. As if on cue, another moblin rushed him from behind. Luckily for Link, he was prepared, because had he waited another moment to leap over his would-be-assailant, he would have surely been speared. He turned around, jumped into the air, repelling his enemy’s weapon with his own, and sliced the beast in its chest.

“I guess they do…” he rephrased, sheathing his sword. He took this opportunity to pack up his belongings and hasten his voyage to the lake. It had seemed that those moblins were guarding Lake Hylia. Could they be behind that strange glow he’d seen? When he got to the lake he would investigate. Hopefully it wasn’t too terribly dangerous or important, or else he might be in some big trouble.

He then ran as quickly as he could towards the south passage. He most certainly did not want to get in another skirmish. It would be the death of him.

- - -

The Gathering is a phenomenon rarely glimpsed by mortal eyes. The few who have witnessed its wonders are no longer among the living. This year there would be no spectators. Ever since Ganon spread his shadows across Hyrule, the Guardians have used more caution. Some meetings are too arcane to chance revealing to the enemy. Tonight the Guardians would discuss the grave matter of holding at bay the scattered forces of shadows. They had been wreaking havoc lately on the citizens under their care, and they hadn’t come to a conclusion as to whether or not they should create a resistance force to counter these attacks.

“So shall we begin?” the Deku Tree sprout asked Jabu-Jabu.

“Yes, I think we should…” the great fish replied. “It would be wise to make this Gathering as short and concise as possible. We needn’t risk altering the our antagonists of our decisions. That could be the end of this land.”

The Deku Tree frowned. At least, Jabu-Jabu assumed it was a frown.

“Then let’s get started.” He winked at Kaepora Gaebora, who proceeded to call their council to order.

“You have all gathered here,” he hooted, “to discuss what may be our greatest responsibility yet – the safety and security of this land and all its peoples. I hope you are all aware that ever since the Dark One was sealed away in Time, what is left of his forces runs rampant throughout our great country of Hyrule. At the last Gathering, we agreed that we could not take action against these mindless minions if their intent was not to endanger our ways of life, but it seems that this is not the case.”

“They have struck all across the land, scouring homes and villages, taking innocent lives with them as they wreck the civilization we are called to keep safe. Now it seems we must act, and quickly, before there is not a Hyrule left to govern…”

“I AGREE!” bellowed Valva, the great dragon that safeguarded Death Mountain in place of his predecessor, the traitor Volvagia. Like Volvagia, Valva was power-hungry and swift to anger. But he had a stout heart and always put the people before his own desires. “We should assemble a strike force now, and quickly purge the land of these corrupt creatures!” Several of the Gorons under his charge started chanting their agreement.

The Deku Tree shook his head. “Such a war could very well be the end of Hyrule as we know it.”

Jabu-Jabu concurred, stating, “The last thing this country needs is more death and suffering.”

Kaepora Gaebora raised his wings to silence them. “It may be true that combat is the only way to solve this problem, but we cannot risk open war! The people already have enough to deal with. War would risk more lives than a stealthy approach. I propose that we enlist the Sages as our task-force, and have them use their powerful abilities to quickly eliminate the presence of the dark survivors.”

Valva, eager to incite some type of slaughter, chimed, “What about the Men who have broken the ancient covenant? What are we to do with them?”

“They are not our priority here, young Guardian of Flame,” Kaepora replied sternly. “If you are so quick to fight, you will turn out as corrupt as your foregoer!”

Valva seemed startled by this new twist to the argument. Humbled by the wise old owl’s warning, Valva shrank down to cower behind his followers. What if Kaepora is right? What if I do turn out like Volvagia? The erstwhile Guardian had nearly destroyed Goron-kind under his reign of terror and fear, and the Gorons wound up sealing the deity in the Fire Temple, making the Guardian the ‘guarded’. Then, after Ganondorf took Hyrule, he opened up the dragon’s dungeon and set him loose on Death Mountain.

It had taken the combined might of Darunia the Fire Sage, and Link, the Hero of Time, to destroy Volvagia and purge the land of his dark curse. It had been a terrible battle, one that Darunia had explained well… “We searched the entire Temple to try and find the key that Ganon had used to seal the dragon in his chamber, and finally used the might of the Megaton Hammer to uncover it. Once all the Gorons had been freed, we unlocked the gate, and went in to face our foe. The dragon was waiting for us, warned by Ganondorf that we would penetrate his dark lair, and so he took us by surprise, demolishing our entryway. We had no choice but to destroy our Guardian.”

“I will never forget the fear that ran through my heart during that battle. Neither Link nor myself had any idea as to how to crush his immense might. Then Link noticed that the only part of him that was not enveloped in flame was his head, and if we could hit that hard enough he would be defeated. Then I explained to him the legend of the Goron hero who originally sealed Volvagia in the Temple. That hero used the Megaton Hammer to smash the dragon’s skull. Link distracted him, while I smashed his heavily armored head. When it was shattered, he finished off the fiend with a swift blow from the Master Sword.”

Valva hoped he would not let himself give in to hatred and join the shadows like his begetter. Too much was at stake for his priorities to go awry.

“Do you understand, young Guardian of Flame?” Kaepora Gaebora asked gently.

“Forgive me, Guardian of Wisdom, for I have almost let my selfish ambitions get the best of me,” the dragon resolved. Hopefully it wouldn’t happen again.

“This still leaves the question of what to do about the invasion of Men?” Jabu-Jabu boomed. “They could prove to be a greater danger than the scattered, leaderless minions of darkness. They are organized, and have been known to bring nothing but destruction with them wherever they settle. Already the rivers are being poisoned by their waste and the Deku Forests torn down in their haste. These Men care for nothing but money and power. If they learn of the Golden Power, they will likely attempt to claim it, with much force.”

Kaepora Gaebora hooted his reassurance. “You needn’t worry,” the wise Guardian informed him. “The Sheikah have already volunteered to deal with them swiftly and silently. They’ll leave as quickly as they came.”

“Let’s hope so…” the Deku Tree sighed. “Meanwhile, if we are going to let the Sages handle our present crisis, we’d better have them complete their evolution as soon as possible. They’re going to have to be at full power to take on all the forces of evil!”

Kaepora Gaebora jumped, remembering something. “We can only hope the Hero of Time is out there somewhere…”

- - -

Link had hoped to get to the checkpoint before his stamina was depleted, but his legs could now carry him no further. He sat himself down at the foot of a tree and stared up at the sky. As he peered up at these stars, he felt his childhood memories flood back into his head. He recalled the first time he’d ever gotten a clear view of the night sky, which was the first time he’d climbed one of the Great Trees on his eighth birthday. He’d taken one glance at the heavens, and wondered from that moment on what was out beyond the horizon. Saria had once told him that the stars were the risen spirits of the fallen Guardians of Hyrule. The Guardians were deities empowered with the ability to govern the various races through good times and through bad. The Guardians that Link knew were the undying Deku Tree, the great fish Jabu-Jabu, and whomever was chosen to succeed Volvagia, who had been corrupted by darkness a hundred years before Ganon rose to power. Link had destroyed the forsaken demon with help from the power of the Gorons’ legendary weapon, the Megaton Hammer. He imagined that somewhere up there, the essence of the righteous heart of the dragon would be granting him strength in his quest.

The sky seemed an endless sphere of mystery, their broad span of cluttered novas revealing answers to certain questions. Link studied the astral constellations familiar to him, hoping to find some clues as to how to unravel some abstruse riddles, such as how to assuredly detain Ganondorf in his ceaseless imprisonment within the corrupted halls of the realm apart from time and space. He was sure it had something to do with the Temple of Time, since it was a physical representation of time. But what was the real key to keeping Ganondorf and his dark powers isolated from Hyrule?

During his time as a boy in the forest, he had learned to examine the stars in the same way one might read a book. It came easy to Kokiri children, but Link, who was not a Kokiri, seemed to catch onto it just as easily. Now he could learn almost anything he wanted to know about Hyrulean myths just by interpreting the stars. Ever changing were their answers. “Let me see, three stones to guide the Chosen…” His hand traced the outline of a lengthy string of stars as he deciphered their message. “One instrument of ages to open sealed doors…” The trail of stars broke off and he had to recover his interpreting to proceed with the ode. “A Pedestal of Time to guard the Golden Power…” Once again the sentence was lost.

Desperately scanning the heavens for the next clause, Link’s eyes rested on a constellation known as Ei-Arvis, the Abandoned One. He found within its outline a faint group of celestial bodies that undoubtedly finished this prophecy. “And a blade of evil’s bane to release it! So that is the purpose of the Master Sword! Though it may possess the ability to repel evil, its real intent was for it to be used as a last stronghold against those who seek to take the Triforce!” Link was ecstatic to hear this news. “But why would this be the answer to my question, when my real desire is to learn the secrets of the barrier between here and the realm apart?”

As he spoke, the same strange glow came shining brightly from the direction of the lake. Since nothing truly catastrophic had transpired the last time the eerie radiance had appeared, Link was not too terribly worried. Nothing seemed to have happened this time, either, so he was further assured. But whatever this effulgence was, it could not be a good thing. He gathered his belongings and charged south towards the lake with all his might. It seemed he was about to embark on another adventure.

- - - - END OF CHAPTER TWO - - - -

I do know it is set after Majora's Mask, I was just curious about his horse, that's all. It does bring up the question as to why he sent Epona back though, but I won't push into that and I will go with my own assumptions there.

This story is good, it's a great read. Cannot wait for the next chapter

Chapter 3 – Trouble Brewing

Kafei slowly creaked open the large doors in the base of the Clock Tower. The old landmark had stood for who-knew-how-long, and still it functioned as splendidly as ever. The people of Clock Town used the prominent structure as a timepiece, a beacon, and as a social center for innumerable years, but few townspeople had discerned its true purpose. Kafei was one of these few.

The untrained eye was unable to spot the many secret passages and hidden switches concealed within the tower itself. It had been the intent of the builder to baffle and confuse those who inadvertently tripped a hidden wire and discovered a cryptic corridor leading deeper into a labyrinth of obscured twists and turns. Anyone unlucky enough to uncover one of these entrances would be hopelessly lost, surrounded by a slew of unknown rooms and forsaken trapdoors. Not many people had wandered into these galleries and made it out alive. Even fewer dared to venture back for a return trip.

Kafei crept down the creaking boardwalk and into the waterwheel shanty. The rusted wheel was fed by the roaring waters redirected from Great Bay under Clock Town. The only resident who ever came down here was the curator of the tower, who was also the owner of the astral observatory, and even he was a rare sight, emerging into this room once a month to tend to the machinery. The curator would not make any surprise appearances tonight, however.

Kafei had already seen to that.

When he had finally descended into the bowels of the underground power plant, he scanned the far wall, looking for an indentation that would reveal one of the hidden triggers. His eyes laid on a yellow-orange brick about midway across the room. After walking to the defect cinder block, he reached forward and pressed it into the wall, which promptly began to disassemble itself. Some of the bricks slid forward, others to either side, and after a while of watching the wall shuffle around, Kafei proceeded into the catacombs. The dark musty hallway reeked of dead bodies rotted after ages of lying in this shadowy passage. Most of them had probably roamed this area forever trying to find an exit. But none of them had known the one and only way out. Kafei wove his way through the twisted halls until he encountered a room that most people would consider uncrossable. It consisted of a long path which mysteriously spiraled to the point where it was completely upside-down.

Anyone who had reached this place had probably abandoned it without attempting to traverse the trail. Kafei would not make their same mistake. He walked along the avenue without hesitation, and when he began to feel himself stepping along the wall, then the ceiling, he didn’t falter, but instead held his course. His motions hardly seemed natural, as if he were sleepwalking. Not once did his shoes scuff or his feet brush. After a short distance, he managed to reach yet another dark tunnel that led further into the unknown. He got down on hands and knees and crawled into the narrow burrow, cutting himself on tangled tree roots and sharp thorns. Without flinching, he kept inching through the hollow, ignoring any slices or scrapes he endured along the way. More than once the way was pitch-black, but Kafei had been through this territory so many times he knew the correct direction without having to see it.

Sometimes his trip was at an incline; at times he traveled downhill, but one thing never changed – the sharp pointy tree roots and the thorny vines were abundant throughout the entire journey. This was because Kafei had already left the land of Termina and was under the Lost Woods of Hyrule, where the tree roots grow deep and the shadows of a former curse roam the underground crypts, even this place, the Crossing of Lands. What a majority of the populace did not know about Hyrule and Termina was that the two nations are supplement to each other. Termina is like an intimation of Hyrule. Many of the people who dwell there are mirror images of similar individuals from Hyrule, only they may go by another name. One might say that Termina is a crooked, fallen Hyrule.

Scholars have determined that the two lands exist so similarly because of a distortion in the time-space field that may be caused by the time-traveling power of the Ocarina of Time. Previous masters of the relic have used its mystifying magic to stop countless disasters, and in doing this so frequently, have left a footprint behind in time – which led to the creation of Termina. The land seems to adjust itself with each time-warp, so every use of the Ocarina affects the shape and inhabitants of the land. It is quite possible that when Link used the Temple of Time during his epic battle with Ganon to travel into the future, and then back to his original age again, that some of the characters from the future had blended with those in Termina. This would explain why there were two likenesses of Malon – Cremia and Romani – in Romani Ranch, and also how the Royal Composer brothers wound up in the mysterious fatherland.

Kafei knew well these facts, as he had studied under the caretaker of the Clock Tower for the last several months trying to decipher the mysteries that bound the country of the Hero, Link, and his own realm. His attempts were, for the most part, successful, but some details about the connection still evaded him. One of these facts was why he was not an incarnation of a resident from Hyrule. But he did know the most important thing; that the Crossing of Lands was the only way to travel between the two continents without severely impacting the order of the world.

That was, in fact, why the sacred path was first created. And it was also why he was now enduring the long trek through the underground to get to Hyrule. Why he was going there he did not know, but something in his heart mindlessly drove him thither. He finally exited the dark damp crawl-space onto a small ledge that overlooked an endless abyss. One misstep and it would all be over. This had been where his last quest through these passages had ended. He simply did not have the equipment to cross this infernal pit. Now he was prepared. As he mechanically sorted through his things to find the object he’d unearthed, he failed to notice the creature that flew out of his satchel and over to the opposite side of the divide. The purple-black fairy turned around, s******ed, and flew forward into the forest passageway.

- - -

Kaepora Gaebora flew across the night sky of Hyrule, scanning the ground with his owl eyes, looking for any signs of Link. He knew that the young hero was capable of helping them bring down either of Hyrule’s two main threats: the spread of the dark minions, or the invasion of Men. As he swooped down low to investigate the small wood he saw signs of a skirmish. Further investigation showed two dead Dinolfos. Link had definitely been here. But where was he headed? Any tracks he’d left behind had been blown away by the wind, and the owl, wise as he was, had no clues as to how to find him.

He perched himself on a wide branch and started thinking. “Now where could the young hero have gotten to?” he asked himself. What happened next startled him. The branch he was perched on started moving, as if it belonged to the Deku Tree. But he was miles away from the heart of the forest, what power could be possessing this tree? He hooted before gliding to the front of the tree, where a wizened face appeared in the knots. The tree smiled before introducing itself.

“You seem to be startled, Guardian of Wisdom. Do you not recognize me?” the tree began. Since Kaepora obviously showed no signs of recognition, the tree decided it would be fitting to re-inform the owl of its status. “I am the Spirit of the Forest Sage, whom you helped plant ages ago. Do you not remember?” Kaepora hooted an excited response. He hadn’t seen the forest spirit in centuries, no one had, that was why he couldn’t recognize it. The great tree certainly had grown since last he saw it.

“Yes, I do remember! How have you been faring?” Kaepora asked eagerly. He had stayed with the tree for months while it was a seedling before leaving it to deal with the Gerudo and hadn’t come back since. It seemed that none of the Guardians really remembered much about the Sage spirits, because they hardly ever discussed them.

“I have been quite well, thanks to your help all those years ago. My roots are firmly planted in the soils of knowledge, and I have gained much wisdom, enough to rival your own. As you appeared in my glade, it was apparent that there were many questions on your mind. Might I be able to answer them?” the tree responded.

“Ahh…yes,” Kaepora stuttered. “You wouldn’t happen to have seen a young boy clad in green carrying a sword and shield pass through here by any chance? Our council of Guardians may need his help with all these new dangers.”

The tree smiled. “Yes, we are in troubled times. There are servants of darkness running amok throughout our lands, tearing down trees and destroying homes as they move. Also is the impending invasion of Men, which poses an unknown threat. But I’m sure the Council is already well aware of these facts. As for the boy, he passed by here not too long ago, and you might find him heading down the passage to Lake Hylia, if you hurry. He is looking for something dear to him, and has been for many months, it seems.”

“Why do you say that?” Kaepora asked.

“Would you like me to explain it?” the spirit rejoindered. “The woodland sprites have told me much of his adventures of late.”

“It would please me to hear whatever you would have to tell,” Kaepora answered. “I would very much like to know what our little hero has accomplished these past few months. I am sure he has been keeping himself quite busy recently.”

“Very well. His search for that which is lost led him deep into the uncharted Lost Woods, where he encountered an imp. This imp led him on a great chase through the forest, finally drawing him across the gap between realms. The boy found himself in another world parallel to our own. A curse was placed on him by the imp, turning him into a Scrub, but his stout heart was no smaller. He managed to lift his curse, returning him to his former self and sealing the curse into a magical mask, which he could use to transform at will into his Deku guise. He then proceeded to stop the imp in whatever vile plan it was concocting. His quest led him to a swamp, where he rescued a Deku Tribe from a totem demon, taking the vanquished one’s mask.”

“Deku Tribe!” Kaepora hooted. “This alternate realm seems not so different from our own!”

“Yes, many similarities can be seen between the two lands. In fact, I have been told that some of the inhabitants bear a striking resemblance to some individuals you might find here. Anyway, the boy’s search then led him to Snowhead, the mountain of Ice, where he encountered the Goron tribe and sealed a wandering Goron spirit into another transformation and liberated them from the mechanical bull Goht and retrieved a second demon mask. Then he headed west, to the Western Sea, where he received another mask, which would turn him into a Zora. He used the power of this mask to defeat yet another demon and received yet another demon mask. Finally, he used his newfound abilities to defeat the fourth and final demon before facing off with the imp himself.”

“And how did our young hero defeat the imp?” the owl asked the tree.

“He had to make a deal with a demon, receiving a transformation mask that would turn him into an incarnation of evil. He used his dark powers to combat those of the imp, finally freeing the land of its vile spell. The evil mask which the Hero used in this fight was destroyed, but some whispers say its power still remains deep inside the Hero.”

If what the forest spirit said was true, then Hyrule could be in jeopardy. “What is this ‘evil incarnation’ that Link took the form of?” the owl inquired frantically.

“It is called the Fierce Deity, the Oni. A demon soldier felled long ago whose soul was spared by the original Hero himself.” Yes, this was bad indeed, and worse than Kaepora had thought. The Fierce Deity had long ago struck across the world, razing cities as he went, instilling fear in the hearts of everyone he met. This demon soldier had nearly destroyed Hyrule and the surrounding provinces, covering the land in a darkness to rival than of Ganon. At first the people thought that this was the Evil prophesied long ago, but Oni made no move to take the Triforce. This discord marked the first appearance of the great Hero.

There was a great battle, in which for the first time the blade of evil’s bane was seen in combat. It was just after the Sages forged the mighty weapon in an effort to find a weapon strong enough to do battle against a demon blade. The Hero fared well, but nearly lost his life. To save him, the Sages had to seal him and his Master Sword away in the Temple of Time until a cure could be found for his ailment. Finally, after nearly an Age, the cure was discovered, and the Hero was healed. He then went on to continue his bloodline and continue to right the wrongs of the world. If Oni was indeed still alive, it would have been by the mercy of the Hero. And now, it seemed, the demon was bound to Link. This could mean mortal peril for Link, and doom for the land if Oni were to take control of him. Things were already set into motion that could not be undone. They would just have to make sure that Link could suppress the evil now inside of him long enough for them to purge him of it. The fate of the land now rested in the hands of the Guardians once again.

“What should we do, Great Spirit?” Kaepora asked. “The Guardians will likely want to act. We cannot afford to face Oni, especially if the vessel he chooses is that of our only Hero. We must stop this evil before it consumes him.” The spirit was silent for a moment. “What is it, spirit? There is something we can do, isn’t there?”

“I’m afraid not,” the spirit replied solemnly. “All that we can do is hope. To try and suppress the demon at this point could mean to destroy the boy. And that most certainly would not be good.” Kaepora frowned. No, it would not be good.

Not in the slightest.

- - -

Princess Ruto surfaced from under the waterfall cavern inside Zora’s Domain. She hated all these boring meetings her father always had her sit through. They would talk about trade with the Gorons, the fishing economy, and other boring Domain issues. The king had said it would be better to ‘become accustomed to discussing internal affairs’ before she took on the responsibility of Zoran monarch. But Ruto did not desire to be queen. All she wanted was a simple life, filled with fun, laughter, and romance. She longed to be a normal teenage Zora, to talk about boys and how to style her fins. But these were ‘non-ladylike’ topics, as King Zora had put it, and ‘not to be discussed by a princess.’ She felt like a prisoner in her own home, a slave to society. She already had the duties and responsibilities of a Sage, and now, to take on the role of princess was a bit much for her. So today she’d decided to sneak out to Lake Hylia, where she could mingle with common folk. As she approached the secret tunnel to the Lake, she dove back under the water and spiraled down into the opening. The current that ran through the tunnel carried her effortlessly through it, giving her more time to think to herself.

No matter how much she didn’t want to admit it to herself, she knew she missed Link. Ever since she’d decided to break her engagement to him to allow herself to assume the responsibilities of the Sage of Water, she’d thought about how different things would be if the two of them had gotten married. She would probably be far away from here, with him on one of his adventures. It was his courageous bravado that had driven her to fall in love with him, and now, as she pictured herself gliding downstream with him to some distant land, she felt those feelings crawling back to her. She remembered the first time he’d kissed her. It was just before he left the Domain to return to the Temple of Time and put the Spiritual Stones in their rightful place. That day was still fresh in her mind, as if it were only yesterday. Thinking back on it, she wished that kiss could have lasted forever. But what’s passed is passed, and she had made the decision to let go. Even if she regretted it day by day.

Still drifting down the tunnel, she wondered where her love could be now. Probably wandering the fields of Hyrule, sowing good deeds as he went. She wanted to be standing next to him, admiring him in every step that he took, holding his hand so as not to be alone in this world. Because she felt so alone. It seemed like no one understood her. They were all content with living their lives cooped up in the Domain, not thinking about what else was out there. Take the lake for example. You’d expect Zoras would flock to the lake like geese. Not the case. Most Zoras were too afraid to leave the Domain. They preferred the safety of their own homes to venturing out into the unknown.

Ruto had once asked her father why their people were so terrified of the lands outside the Domain. It seemed that long ago, there had been a great war between the Zoras and the Gerudo tribes, and one which ended catastrophically. The great conflict began with a trivial trade dispute, in which the Gerudos accused the Zoras of catching more than their fair share of fish from the Gerudo Valley river. When the Zoras tried to argue their cause, showing Gerudo leaders that the lake was empty of the resource, the Gerudos would have none of it.

Their king, Galen, had declared war against the Domain, damming the river to drain the lake, successfully crippling the Zoras’ main trading port. With this outpost virtually useless, the Zoras were forced to resort to desperate measures, and called on their resident Sage, the warrior Wain, for assistance. Though the Sage was successful in breaking the enemy’s front lines and destroying the dam, he was not ready for the horror he was about to unleash. In his haste to destroy the dam, he stumbled upon the lair of the water demon, Morpha, who wasted no time in attempting to spread its evil throughout the sacred lake.

The entire Zora army was wiped out in a fleeing instant by a strange sickness. Morpha would not at nothing to completely assimilate all Zora-kind unto itself. In the end, Wain had to seal the demon in the deepest darkest chamber of the frozen caverns deep under Zora’s Fountain. So many Zoras died that day that the king decided to cut off all contact with other tribes to avoid another tragedy of this magnitude.

When her father told her this story, Ruto could understand the Zora’s frustration with the outside world. After experiencing so much, it was reasonable that they do their best to avoid another conflict. So she spent the next few years trying to re-ignite the pioneering spirit the Zoras once had. With her father’s permission, she led fishing expeditions out beyond Lake Hylia to the sea. Many of her companions returned to the Domain with a rekindled interest in the world beyond their cave. So Zoras started venturing out in schools to explore every crevice of the lake, some even journeying out to sea.

They were about to reopen trade with lingering Hylian river trading ports such as Corlicus Point and Krand Isle when Ganondorf attacked. His first target was the Water Temple, and he took it in a brief and decisive victory. The Zoras knew their worst fear was about to be fulfilled. They were about to face the wrath of Morpha. Of course, they were correct. Ganondorf spared no expense in infiltrating Zora’s Domain and stationing the bulk of his forces in the Water Temple. He then went personally into the Ice Cavern and freed Morpha from its icy prison.

Morpha, due to extended exposure to cold, had developed some new abilities in its imprisonment. For one, it could turn water to ice at will. Its first order of business was to entomb the Domain in the same icy slumber it had endured these long years. It had failed, however, in trapping Princess Ruto under the ice, partially due to a stranger named Sheik. Ganondorf then let Morpha loose in the Water Temple so he could move his forces elsewhere.

Even though Link had returned from a seven-year absence to destroy the demon with the Master Sword, the Zoras had redeveloped their fear of the outside world as quickly as they’d grown to enjoy it. Though the ice that had held them there had long since thawed, they would continue to live as if they were still under freeze. Ruto was the only Zora to ever leave the Domain anymore, even to take a brief swim or go fishing. But she had her own reasons for her excursions. She wanted so badly to see Link, if just one more time. She knew that eventually his adventurous spirit would have to lead him to the Lake, and she could finally tell him how she really felt. She no longer cared about her responsibility as a Sage not to love outside the Zora tribe. She loved Link, and there was nothing she could do to change that.

She saw she was approaching the end of the tunnel, and so she straightened her fins and prepared to flow out of the passage and into Lake Hylia. She’d come here every few days in hopes of seeing her true love, but today was the first day she really felt he would be here. Something deep inside her just told her that he would come.

And so she surfaced, swimming over to the shore to sit and wait. The sun was awfully bright this morning, and she was reminded of the first day she’d come out here. She had been a small child of about eight years, and her mother had taken her to visit the Water Temple. Her mother had always told her that the Water Temple had always been a special place for her family, but it wasn’t until her awakening as a Sage that she realized why.

In fact, there were a lot of things her mother had told her that hadn’t made sense until recently. Her father had always referred to the Zora’s Sapphire that Mother had held so preciously as the ‘Zora’s Engagement Ring’, but Mother had always said it held more significance than that. What was it she had said? “Keep this safe, my child, for it may one day save you.” She supposed that it had saved her, if only indirectly. If Link hadn’t taken the three Spiritual Stones to the Temple of Time and drawn the Master Sword, Ganondorf would have never been defeated and the Domain would still be covered by a chilling winter.

She stared out at the lake, watching the sunlight reflecting off the water. She remembered a time when she and Link had sat out here. It had been a sunny morning, much like today, with a breeze that made the trees sway and bend. It had been so calm and peaceful that day. She wished Link were next to her right now, so he could rest her head on his shoulder. His oh-so-comfortable shoulder.

That was when the moblin grabbed her from behind.

- - - END OF CHAPTER 3 - - -

Chapter 4 – Close Encounters

Link grabbed hold of the moblin’s spear, using the force from the swing to slide across it and stab its wielder in the chest. The enraged beast shook him loose, hurling him a few meters away. He quickly regained his footing, reaching into his pack for his hookshot. His opponent was nearly on him when he sent the hook through the attacker’s shoulder, allowing the momentum from the retracting chain to pull him towards the beast, which he promptly decapitated. He then yanked his chain from the creature and landed nicely on the ground behind it, whipping the hookshot back into its place in his pack.

The other moblin rushed him, but Link back-flipped over the spear tip and landed squarely on the brute’s shoulders, quickly brandishing his bow to send a pair of arrows straight through the creature’s skull. Apparently it wasn’t enough to kill the beast, because it still flung him aside, scraping his elbows as he slid across the dry and rocky mound. At some point during his fall, he lost grip on his sword, which lay just out of reach. He stretched out his arm to grab it, but the moblin flicked it aside with its spear before proceeding to jab it downwards into Link’s back.

Luckily for Link, he still had his shield, because he just barely had enough time to use the barrier to repel the spear before it pierced him. Since Link was on the ground, the moblin received the brunt of the recoil, and the spear bounced off the shield and the handle bruised its forehead. Before the moblin could recover, Link took the most logical tactic…and tossed his shield straight into the monster’s throat. The beast fell over, almost landing on Link, who managed to yank his shield from its neck and roll out of the way.

But the fighting wasn’t over yet. Another three moblins were charging from over the hill. He reached over to grab his sword and took a fighting stance. The moblins had started attacking him just as he’d emerged at the lakeside from the passage through the trees, just as they had before he passed the last gate-house back at Hyrule Field. What are the moblins doing at Lake Hylia? he wondered. He could never understand the logic of these behemoths. Back when Ganondorf was in power, stationing them in the labyrinth that led to the Sacred Forest Meadow had been a wise tactical decision, but when they fended for themselves, they displayed as much military skill as a peahat.

They were trying to attack him in broad daylight, charging him as they might charge an army. They were so large, however, that this tactic was foolish at best. Was someone pulling the strings, or were they actually acting of their own accord? He’d find out soon enough. He highly doubted the latter, however. Moblins aren’t known for organized thinking. Then what were they doing here? All his inquiries led back to the same question. He’d just have to find out where they were all coming from. Then he could get to the bottom of this.

For now, he’d just have to fight his way through them to get to their headquarters.

The three moblins were getting dangerously close, so Link rolled out of the way as they all attempted to spear him. “What’s wrong?” Link teased. “Can’t catch me? Well, I’m over here!” The enraged monsters swung around and one of them angrily ran at him. It had discarded its spear and was swinging its arms wildly, flailing in a futile effort to beat Link to a pulp. But Link was too quick, dodging each of the blind punches with unmatched agility.

After toying with the moblin for a while, it seemed the other two caught on to the fact that they should probably help their poor comrade. When Link noticed his opponent’s companions approaching, he finally stopped tormenting the crazed moblin and started fighting seriously. He had sheathed his sword so he could concentrate more on dodging the blows, and now he brandished it once more. The moblin closest to him was the first to taste his blade, and he made sure it got the full flavor. Carving his way through the creature’s major blood vessels, he succeeded in slaying the beast with a few swipes of his Gilded Sword. Out of the corner of his eye he saw two more groups running over the hill to support their fellow warriors. He had to admit, they were awfully organized. Someone was definitely commanding them. However, the moblins were so dim-witted it wouldn’t matter if the greatest military mind of all time was behind this. They had brawn, but without the brains to back it up, it wouldn’t much matter. Back in the Sacred Forest Meadow they’d caught him off guard, but out in the open, he had the advantage. Even if they hopelessly outnumbered him.

Before the reinforcements could arrive, Link drew in power from his Triforce of Courage to unleash the hero’s Spin Slash, which sent a slicing shockwave from his sword, knocking the two monsters off their feet. He took the opportunity to intercept his new assailants. These were more experienced fighters, and he found it difficult to catch them off guard. “Just keep slashing, just keep running, just keep breathing,” he muttered to himself, almost out of breath. But even his skill with a blade wouldn’t be enough to fight through all these spears, so he sheathed the sword and whipped out his bow.

A few more minutes of this revealed that four more moblins had joined in the fight. He found himself running, shooting arrows whenever he got the opportunity. There were too many of them to fight head on. He would have to use one of the spells the Great Fairy had given him. Din’s Fire should suffice, but he’d need to have enough time to cast it. And if he had to keep running, there was no way he’d be able to. Then it hit him. Moblins were extremely sensitive to light, as he remembered from his fights with them back in the Meadow. He could use his pictograph box to momentarily blind him, which would buy him enough time to pull out his Din’s Fire crystal and cast the powerful spell. But as he fumbled in his things, running from the moblins as he went, he was having difficulty finding the picto box. He knew it was in there, he had wanted to have it just in case he found a good photo op. But it was nowhere to be seen. “Wait! What’s that, under the extra tunic?” he asked himself. He pulled it out. It was the pictograph box. What luck! He tried to run backwards to get a shot that would flash in all of their faces, but as he ran, he stumbled on a rock. Lucky for him the flash still went off, but his pack, which was still hanging loosely on his arm, fell aside to the ground.

He scrambled to his feet, knowing it wouldn’t be long before the moblins regained their sight. But as he got to his feet, he slipped on the loose dirt and fell flat on his face again, still struggling to get over to his bag. He finally reached it, but the moblins seemed to be recovering from their momentary blindness. Finally he grabbed hold of the warm crystal, and raised it high above his head, quickly chanting the incantation, “Ard’vit mesakah eritok alran!” And as the moblins ran towards him, they were hurled backwards by a huge Din’s Fire explosion that completely incinerated them as well as the ground around them.

Atop the cliff he saw a moblin staring down at him from the lake laboratory. “So that’s where they’re coming from,” Link realized. “That makes sense. The laboratory would make a good headquarters. But what happened to the curator? That old fellow would never help evil.” It was then that he noticed that there had been some changes to the laboratory. Several add-ons had been introduced, including a taller tower, a bay door probably used so moblins could get in and out of the lab, and several strange machines that Link could not identify. After he’d finished looking over the building, he noticed that the moblin had disappeared, probably retreating into the lab to report to his master the battle that had just ensued.

“This is getting weird,” Link said. “First those strange ‘dinolfos’, now a moblin army stationed at the lake? Who’s helping them? They can’t be doing this on their own! What does it all mean?” He was about to find out.

- - -

Night had fallen, and Link noticed that security had cut down since his battle this morning. He had waited until the guards changed shifts to try and approach the laboratory. Good thing, too. Moblins have excellent night vision, and if they were on alert he would never have gotten close to the fortress. Now that they were at ease a little bit, he could sneak up to the HQ undetected.

Link sneaked around to the back of the lab, where there weren’t any guards on duty. He made sure no one was looking his way, and then took out his hookshot and used it to latch onto the roof shingles. Once he had scaled the building, he tiptoed across the roof until he was situated over the large bay doors. There was a small window just below where he was crouched, so he quietly slipped off the roof and fell down through the window into the storage bay below.

The bay was guarded by a pair of moblins, who stood at the far doors which probably led into the laboratory itself. They hadn’t seen him drop in, so he took the time to read the labels on each of the crates that were stacked in the storage room. Lots of them were used to transport metal parts for the machines that had been added onto the building, but some of them contained other things, like living specimens. Most notably, there were lots of crates that once held octoroks.

He found a small wooden chest buried under mounds of crates in the corner of the storage bay. Quietly, he removed the crates from atop the chest and opened the box to look at its contents. Inside were complicated schematics – far too complicated for even he to understand. There was no way the moblins were doing this alone. They were helping someone build a massive research station. Looking at some of the details on the blueprints, some of the equipment was being used to extract some substance Link had never heard of from the lake water. “Mercury? What’s mercury?” he whispered to himself.

It sounded like one of those compounds used by alchemists to turn metal into gold. But what could alchemists possibly need moblins for? No one ever bothered them, partially because their work was so secretive. Was there more to this than transfiguring a metal? There had to be an explanation. He unfolded some more charts and read through the manuals for the machinery. “Geez, whoever came up with this stuff has a lot of time on his hands.” Another chart was full of complex formulas. It seemed that this ‘mercury’ was a fundamental part of some substance this person was trying to create. But why enlist an army of moblins to do it? Weren’t they only loyal to Ganondorf? This was so confusing.

The guards at the door were getting restless and had started dozing off. Link decided now would be a good time to take care of the two cronies and get through that other bay door. He knew he wouldn’t be able to open it himself, but he had an idea that should blow through it, literally. He sneaked across the bay until he was fairly close to the guards, then he leapt over the box he was crouched behind and tossed two Deku Nuts at them. The magic light the acorns emitted stunned the monsters, which gave Link enough time to light the fuse of one of his bombs and toss it in between the two creatures. By the time they were relieved of their paralysis, he was out of sight again and they were oblivious to the bomb ticking down next to them.

It exploded, taking them and the large doors they were guarding with it. When the smoke cleared, Link saw the silhouettes of four more moblin guards walk through the doorway to investigate the explosion. They poked through the rubble, looking for signs of whatever caused the explosion.

“How did this happen?” one of them grunted. “Those two may be stupid, but I never thought they’d blow themselves up.”

“People don’t just blow up, someone had to have ‘kegged ‘em,” another responded. “Look, it’s a burn mark on the floor. A bomb lay here.”

“But who did this?” the first asked again. “And how did they get in here in the first place?”

Link decided to let them argue over what had transpired here, and rushed through the still smoldering doorway into a corridor which led into the heart of the laboratory. Inside were many strange contraptions he’d never seen before. No one was working the machines, but some of them were running automatically. Pumps drew water into a large tank, which had a shark swimming around in it. The shark surfaced for a moment, spotted him, then dove back under the water. The tables were cluttered with papers and measuring instruments, most of them test tubes filled with colored substances. Each was labeled clearly with names such as ‘nitrogen’, ‘neon’, and ‘argon’. What were these mystery substances?

“Well, it looks like whoever’s running this place certainly plans to stay. He’s done a fine job of setting up shop,” Link remarked. “This can’t be moblin handiwork. Then again, none of Ganon’s other servants could have set up a lab this complicated.” He sat down in one of the lab chairs and put his hand on his chin, picking up a lab report to study it. “But what are they looking for, and why are they being so hostile about it?”

He read the report: Day 7. Test substance B has successfully changed from ‘neon’ to ‘argon.’ Test substances A and C exhibit no change. Conclusion – Continue testing substances with similar compounds as Test substance B. Day 8. Trials 6A and 6B conducted at 13:26. Test subject 6A showed enlarged muscles and adrenal glands. Test subject 6B did not survive the testing. Retry Trial 6A to achieve same results. Will continue to run Trial 6A to assure no differing result.

Whoever this person was, he was using these compounds to mutate creatures. But why? Was he trying to create an army? For what purpose? Who was this person? Link noticed on the far wall another door. He knew that the answers he sought would be behind that door. “Well, here goes. Here begins my newest adventure.” He took a deep breath, summoned all his courage, and opened the door. What he found inside was not at all what he expected. A short staircase led to an underground sewer. But that wasn’t the surprising thing. What shocked him was the Big Octo that charged him as he reached the bottom of the staircase.

He’d fought a Big Octo before, but this one wasn’t quite the same. It was green rather than purple, and moved much quicker than he remembered. It knocked him off his feet and sent him splashing face-down in muddy water. He recovered his stance and slipped on his Zora mask. He hadn’t used the transformation masks since his climactic battle with Majora. After a transformation as painful as he’d remembered it, he was in the form of Mikau and ready to do battle with this beast.

His first order of business was to get behind the Octo so he could hit its weak spot on its back. He waited for it to charge him again before leaping on top of it and descending to land behind it. He quickly released his boomerang fins to strike the creature in the back before unleashing the mighty Zora energy bolts to shock the monster. He recovered his fins and hardened them into blades, using his twin edges to cut through the thick skin of the enhanced Octo. After slashing through the outer layer, he sent another shockwave coursing through its body, successfully paralyzing and killing it. “Well, that was certainly exhilarating!” he exclaimed, tugging off his Zora mask.. “What was up with that Big Octo? I bet they’ve been doing experiments on it down here!” He wandered through the sewage, searching for anything else suspicious. Other than the Big Octo, he didn’t see anything else that looked like it had been altered.

“Someone’s going to great lengths to make sure I don’t find them down here.” He seemed to be going in circles, as he kept passing by the dead Octo. “And they’re doing a pretty good job of it. I don’t see anywhere I can go but…” He paused, and took a couple steps back, examining a strange-looking brick jutting out from the wall. “Hmm…what’s this? Looks like an ordinary brick, but…” Pulling on the brick, he saw that it opened a hidden doorway farther down the tunnel. “…it serves a better purpose.”

These sewers had obviously been used as a headquarters before. No one could have installed such a complicated door down here without tearing down the whole wall. It kind of reminded him of the Bomber’s Hideout back in Termina. Could a similar organization have existed in Hyrule? If so, what caused them to abandon their headquarters? This plot was thickening like chocolate milk. He stepped through the dark doorway, not sure what to expect on the other side…

- - -

After wandering the dark passage for several minutes, Link decided that he was lost. Although, what was he to expect? He was in a pitch-black tunnel totally unknown to him, he had no idea where he was going, or even how to get there. It wasn’t as if he’d been here before. Although it seemed eerily familiar. The feeling he got from this place was kind of like what he encountered the first time he laid eyes on Hyrule Ca