Path of Legends HxD

Life 0: Quit Being a Hero, Probably Not.

Greeting wattpad readers.

This is, as you may have noticed, a crossover story of Legend of Zelda and Highschool DxD, featuring Link from both Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. The story begins many years later after Link returned from Termina. Many events had occurred before the beginning of this story, which will be revealed as the story progresses.

I wanted this story to resemble a light novel, which is the reason I've made images for each chapter, corresponding to important scenes, and I hope you like them. Also, every Youtube link is a song recommendation for specific scenes, which can help improve the reading experience. You are free to use them should you enjoy immersive music while reading.

Now, enjoy the start of a new adventure of the Hero of Time and the beginning of the plot of my Itherverse. This will be one hell of an adventure, so expect epic battles, funny interactions and the awesomeness that Link and his other self, the Fierce Deity will unleash!

You have been warned...

- Frank

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*Unknown Voice*

"THOU, YoUng Hero, whO WiLL DeFYeSt The lAwS oF HeaVEn anD hEll, AWAKEN! FoR thOU SHaLt mEeT wiTH The CriMSoN DeSTIny ThaT ThInE Own GodDesSEs haST ChoSEn fOR ThEe!"

Part 1

He opened his eyes very slowly and his blurred vision readjusted to the surroundings. He blinked several times while waiting for his sight to become clear. It was not crystal clear but...clear enough. A cream coloured ceiling came into view, yet it was not from the room, but of the luxurious bed he was resting upon.

The nineteen year old man let out a weary sigh, his left hand trailing over the soft and thin fabric the sheet were made of. His hand then stopped before it began to move faster, patting around the empty area of the bed.

'Maybe that was just a dream, but that voice... was it another...?'

The young man whose hair was as brilliant as gold sat over the comfy bed, yawning as he did with arms stretching upward. His sapphire blue eyes peered through the almost transparent purple fabric that hung over the bed's entirety, as he noticed the sunlight entering from the rather big balcony window doors.

That meant one thing for him. It was time to leave.

The naked blond man with pointed ears stood on his feet and walked towards the bathroom across the hall. Inside, he stepped into the roomy shower, using an advanced hydraulic magical system created by one of the most renowned alchemists of this Era. Zubora, along with his partner, Gabora, an expert blacksmith, had built it.

The system consisted of elemental magical orbs and steel pipes, when put together, had created this very useful invention. Not necessarily an amazing creation, but it really improved the hygiene of the populace. That's why the Ruler of the mythical Kingdom of Hyrule had been spreading this invention around to every province bit by bit.

Though it was not like anyone was interested in knowing that.

Back to the scene at hand, the blond shook his head after drying himself with finely-made towels, finally noticing the luxurious objects and decorations within the bathroom. To begin with, the pipes were made of gold, the toilet and the sink made of smooth white porcelain, an expensive material exported from another kingdom.

Nothing of real interest to him really.

Back from the bathroom, the man observed the decorations of the guest room he spent the last night in. The solid stonewalls were mostly covered by paintings of different sizes which displayed beautiful scenery of different locations inside Hyrule. There was also masterfully crafted furniture, the big and comfortable bed, a large mirror, a bookshelf and a two-seat sofa that covered most of the bedroom. Finally, a golden chandelier hung from the room's ceiling.

To put things in a nutshell, the room where the blond man slept last night was worthy of a noble. It was funny to think that that he didn't consider himself one, despite his current circumstances. After all, he was inside of one of the many chambers of the Hyrule Castle, the seat of Hyrule's monarchical government and home of the Royal Family.

The young blond man whose name was Link, once called Hero of Time, though in another timeline or dimension, massaged his neck as he walked over the soft carpet that covered the stony floor. The carpet felt so comforting on his bare feet. As he was standing there, he reached over to the bed and picked up one of the pillows. Reaching inside, he then pulled out two small pouches.

When both pouches came in contact with his hands, a soft sky-blue light enveloped him for a mere second before a whole outfit materialized onto his body.

A set of white leggings and an undershirt beneath a green tunic, together with brown gauntlets and boots. A three-point belt with an empty scabbard was strapped to Link's back. Finally, a long, floppy green cap donned over his head.

The young man, garbed in green, adjusted the pouches at both sides of his belt before accommodating his gauntlets and then his cap. Link then peered stoically over at the large mirror near the door that led to the corridor.

The rather athletic build, the handsome face and the confident smile he sported across his lips; it could only establish that Link was, as many women have stated about him, much to his surprise and sometimes discomfort, a very attractive and charming man... the latter may be attributed to his kind and sarcastic personality though.

Link folded his arms and then put a thoughtful hand on his chin as he decided today's course of action.

There were so many things that Link wanted to do now that he had finally returned to Hyrule after the rather... interesting adventures he'd had in otherworldly lands.

However, one thing came first before leaving.

He had to say goodbye to a certain young woman that lived within the castle. The Princess that would eventually become the Ruler of the Kingdom, whom happened to be an acquaintance of his.

Her name, of course, was Zelda.

Link sighed, knowing that he was not particularly good with saying farewells to those he considered a friend, much less to the woman that was closest to him. It started when Link simply ran away when his childhood friend Saria, came to bid farewell to him the day he departed from his home within the forest as a young child.

Yes, he sucked at saying good-bye, and he would had left without saying a word as usual if the person involved was anyone but the princess of Hyrule.

Link was an adventurer, a man of the road, and before that, a protector. Whether it was this Kingdom or any other, he would always extend his hand to those that needed it. Even if it meant fighting the most terrible evils of the world, which he actually had done, and not even a soul could deny it.

This was one of the many reasons he travelled constantly and had yet to even think of staying in a place for life.

Honestly, that kind of life would have been boring, and it wouldn't have allowed him to meet the countless adversaries and allies that he now possessed. So many lives saved because Link simply stumbled upon them during his travels.

The Hyrule-born male opened the door and left the guest room. A long corridor extended out before him with many doors that led to other guest rooms, so he ignored them and proceeded to the left end of the corridor, where double doors awaited him.

Link entered a big hall with multiple chandeliers hanging from the tall ceiling while the red coloured banners that hung on the walls displayed symbols related to the Royal Family of Hyrule, such as images of the goddesses whom created the world, Nayru, Din and Farore. Others showed images of a Red Bird, the Spiritual Stones and symbols related to a mysterious race known as the Sheikah, also called the Shadow Folk.

Beautifully carved columns were positioned across the hall, and the glasswork of the large windows located on the left wall contained detailed symbols that represented the temples located across Hyrule in their design. Each glass allowed in a glow of a different colors to the hall, creating a rather lively atmosphere.

"Good morning, sir!"

Link glanced at the source of the male voice, his blue eyes meeting the brown-colored ones of the guard stationed by the door. The light armor, helmet alongside a lance as their main weapon, was the customary equipment found on guards of the Kingdom. However, the ones inside the castle carried the emblem of the Royal Family on the chest plate of their armor.

Link simply nodded in acknowledgement at the greeting and continued to walk, noticing two more guards coming his way. At close range, a third person appeared hidden by the two, someone he actually knew.

Impa, a woman with tan skin, red eyes, and light blue hair that wore chest armor over a purple and black outfit, she widened her eyes upon noticing him, smiling bashfully as she paced quickly towards his location.

Link raised his eyebrows, recalling that she became his mentor not only during his growth in Hyrule, but during the time Link fought in another time to defeat the Evil King. Being the last of the Sheikah Tribe, an ancient ninja clan that was sworn to protect the Royal family, Impa had become the protector of the royal Princess... and her confidant as well.

"Link! You are finally awake, I see," Impa greeted cheerfully while crossing her arms. "Your sleeping habits never change," The woman chuckled as both guards at her side nodded in respect to the blonde in front of them. "I assume that you are leaving once again."

The green-clad warrior nodded.

"The King would have liked to see you, but he has traveled to Holodrum to attend some diplomatic issues with the Major of that Kingdom," She stepped close to him and whispered to his ear. "I assume that the Princess didn't mention that last night."

Link blinked at the implications and raised an inquisitive brow at the woman, which only caused her to chuckle again as she patted his back playfully. Impa had that irritating ability to get on his nerves so easily, as if she was some sort of older sister that knew all of his soft spots. Considering she was like a guardian to him in his younger years, this was not a surprise.

'So it was not a dream... I'll be damned...'

"Don't give me that face, Link. I was just joking. When did my skilled protegee become such an earnest lad?" The blond rolled his eyes at her nonchalant reaction. "Anyhow, I will send word of your arrival to the King. Your unexpected arrival last night didn't really give us time to greet you properly."

The silent warrior nodded again, and finally spoke.

"Give the king my regards after he returns when you see to him personally," A tiny smile graced his lips. "Where is the Princess, by the way? I was planning to bid my farewell to her."

"Just saw her actually," Impa glanced over her shoulder. "She is in her room," Her expression softened while resting a hand over his shoulder. "Link, you just arrived yesterday. Why don't you stay a while longer? Princess Zelda has been waiting expectantly for your return all this time."

The blond warrior lowered his gaze to the ground, as if thinking profoundly. He had been away from Hyrule for twenty months during his last travel. It was with the purpose of searching for his long lost friend and companion, Navi, a fairy that had accompanied and helped him throughout his first grand adventure as both child and adult.

But that search was unexpectedly interrupted by otherworldly forces.

Link couldn't understand why Navi chose to leave when they returned to the time where they both belonged, and after a glorious victory from the infernal battle that both faced against the Evil King.

Even after so many years, he had yet to understand the fairy's actions. She had always been unpredictable.

Since then, Link had travelled many times to search for Navi, but had never succeeded in actually finding her, much to his dismay. However, he was not a man to give up, given that nine years had passed since she left and he still harboured the hope of finding her.

His mind soon returned to the present, sharp eyes looking at the woman that taught him to fight skilfully with a sword and many other weapons, while training him to be as swift and agile as the wind and to move like a shadow in the night.

"I truly appreciate the offer Impa, but I won't. The Princess will have to understand."

Impa unavoidably sighed. The young warrior always gave that very same response every time he chose to leave. She had known the man in front of her since he was but a mere child, the brave boy that had become the courageous warrior he was today. He wasn't anything like she had seen before, that's for sure.

As a child, Link was far more mature than any man she had seen when certain situations occurred, not to mention the unpolished, yet incredible skills, he possessed as a swordsman and marksman, even casting a few certain spells of unbelievable power.

Another shocking trait about Link, in her honest opinion, was his fearless and determined demeanour whilst facing danger. This she witnessed for the first time when the eleven year old boy had fended off a large group of thieves that had tried to assault a group of caravans... alone. Another worth mentioning trait was his self-reliant personality, displayed towards her and the Princess when Link often announced that he would travel on his own to unknown territories far away from the Kingdom.

Not only had he exposed the Gerudo ambassador's traitorous plans of attacking Hyrule Castle, but he revealed events of a future that had yet to come, explaining with surreal conviction and a maturity not seen in any child his age, of the Dark Age that would befall Hyrule, if he wasn't heard.

His definite proof was, of course, the Golden mark that materialized upon his hand that revealed he was no mere boy. To the King's surprise, and his daughter's, the mark on Link's hand resonated with the one that appeared on Zelda's hand when the boy had grabbed it. Both carried two of the three pieces that conformed the sacred relic left by the Goddesses after the creation of Hyrule; the Triforce.

This sacred relic could grant any wish to whomever that touched it. But if a person without an equal balance in power, wisdom, and courage was to get hold of it, the Triforce would inevitably split apart in three segments, only the piece that best personified the wish-maker would remain while the two other fragments would emerge in whomever were to be worthy of them.

It was for that reason the mythical Triforce of Courage had chosen Link as its wielder. The Sacred Relic couldn't have chosen better in Zelda's opinion, because if one considered who she was and what godly piece the Princess held, then there was no better an opinion than her's.

However, it did not make any sense for the boy, for Link had felt the Triforce of Courage abandon him when he returned to his own era to live out his childhood after his grand first adventure. Supposedly, the complete sacred relic should have returned to the Sacred Realm, but several days had later since his return, Link sensed the sacred relic emerge once more upon his hand.

The King decided to watch over the boy that happened to have no parents. As the King was truly grateful towards the him, he offered Link to become a Prince, which would have made him a noble, advantages and benefits included, yet, to everyone's surprise, the blond boy airily rejected the offer, stating that he was not the kind that would enjoy life as a noble.

This proved that Link was welcomed inside the Royal palace.

Impa still carried many doubts about this mysterious boy as did Princess Zelda and the King, but Link had showed them time and again that he was sincere when he told them he just wanted to help and prevent tragedy.

However, Impa could never stop wondering... who was this boy?

"It was good to see you, again," Link spoke up, taking Impa out of her musings. "Take care and keep protecting Zelda as you have done all this time."

"You always say the same thing every time," The woman said as she smiled with amusement. "And I will answer you the same way I always did regardless..." She paused. "You don't need to say it as I will always protect the Princess until death claims my life."

And that's all Link needed to hear before saying goodbye to his mentor, "I will be on my way, then..." Link walked past the woman and two guards, but stopped mid-way when he heard Impa speak.

"Link, are you planning to investigate the Lost Woods again?" The boy glanced at her over his shoulder. "What if you don't return this time?"

The bearer of Courage stared at her sternly.

"I will."

And just like that, he walked away with determined steps. Impa saw him disappear from her sight when he entered a door in the hall, scratching her cheek in mild nervousness.

His sharp expression was quite intimidating.

"He is for sure a man of few words," One of the two guards stated as he removed his helmet, revealing short brown hair and a beard. "Are the rumours about him real?"

"Rumours? What sort of rumours?" Impa inquired.

"They say he managed to become a Gerudo by some sort of contract when he personally defeated their most powerful lieutenants after infiltrating their Fortress alone."

"Well I heard that he has travelled to the Temples located across Hyrule only to gather its ancient treasures. And I heard most were gadgets or magic weapons no one has ever seen or heard of!" The other guard spoke with excitement, making his brown-haired companion raise an eyebrow.

"So the rumor about the ancestral and mighty weapons was true?"

"They also say that he is a shape shifter, capable of transforming into a variety of creatures using some sort of magical artifacts."

Impa remained silent as both men continued to share the apparent gossips of the mysterious warrior that had become a notable celebrity inside the Kingdom. Not because he helped discover the Gerudo Ambassador's true intentions, which none, exempt from a small group of individuals even knew. But for the many times Link had protected the Kingdom from external threats, such as monsters, evil wizards, and the sort.

Despite that he traveled quite often, Link would always show up when Hyrule was in danger, as the Hero chosen by the goddesses, as the light of hope that would make the darkness disappear in its shining glory.

A valiant Saviour; a brave Hero.

Eventually, the green-clad Hylian became quite well known due to his heroic deeds all across the Kingdom, earning the respect of the population. He also earned the respect of most nobles, however, there were those that often saw him as a threat.

Either way, Impa, protector of the Royal Princess, couldn't help but to feel amused by the rumors that were constantly spread about him, since she knew that every single one of them were true.

Part 2

Link stood in front of brown double doors, both covered with intricate patterns. At each side, a guard stood firmly, observing him from head to toe. Seconds passed as Link crossed his arms, waiting for Zelda to respond after one of the guards did him the 'favor' of knocking upon the door.

Two minutes passed, no one responded.

"I assume the Princess can't attend you right now. You should come back later, sir."

'Impa just saw the princess... so...'

"I see..." Link muttered, assuming a thoughtful expression, "I'll wait..."

The guard frowned under his helmet, "Sir, I mean on offense, but it may be a waste of time to wait for the Princess to respond," He couldn't believe that this boy, dressed in green, was allowed to wander the castle despite not being related to the King or a noble, even coming to see the Princess in her own room.

Even if he was a considered Hero, to be a friend of the Royal Princess was something entirely different.

Link nodded before asking, "You two are new?"

"Yes, sir. We were part of the platoon in charge of protecting the northern Outpost that watches over Noncoli Town for the last months and were just reassigned to return to the Castle. Guarding the Princess's chambers is now our duty."

Link's blue eyes scanned them briefly, and he nodded again before crossing his arms.

"I see," The blond smiled. "Very well then, could you knock the door again?" Both guards exchanged looks of incredulity at the request. "If you two are new around here, it's normal that you don't know that I normally have free access to every room in the Castle, and this one is no exception, but I won't go in unless I'm allowed to."

Link's explanation was followed by another exchange of looks between the guards. At first, they were doubtful, but the blonde sounded sincere and his eyes showed truthfulness. Still, how could they let him enter the Princess's room like that? If they were to endanger the Princess's well-being, they would surely be executed.

"With all due respect sir, we haven't been informed about this. We will not let you in until we receive proof of your words or an order from our superiors."

Link smirked.

"Good. That's how it has to be," The swordsman commented in approval. "I now understand why you two have been put in charge of such an important task as is to guard the Princess's chambers. I'll be on my way."

The young man garbed in green turned around and headed towards the same direction he came, startling both guards in the process.

"That was odd..." The guard said to his companion, both unaware that Link had put on a certain mask, his presence concealed...

o-0-O-0-o

A green orb of light materialized inside a bedroom before it expanded, completely illuminating every corner for just a second. When the light faded, Link appeared where the green orb once floated, and with this, he successfully infiltrated Princess Zelda's room undetected.

He had to thank both his magical mask, called the Stone Mask, which hid his presence and made him invisible upon wearing it, and one of the few magical skills he possessed and managed to control perfectly after training with Zelda herself, given to him by one of the Great Fairies of Hyrule. The spell was called Farore's Wind, which allowed him to teleport small distances and warp to where green orbs were created by his will.

Of course, Link could only teleport to spots within his sight, or create the green orbs of light as long as he could see the place clearly, however, as he improved this spell, Link could create the orbs of light in places his mind remembered with vivid clarity, like his house in the Kokiri Forest, the field of Lon Lon Ranch, Zelda's and Malon's bedrooms, among others.

The distance however, in which he could create the orbs always remained the same, exactly eleven meters away from him. Nevertheless, if Link had chosen to leave the orbs in a certain place, and go to the other half of the world, as long as Link maintained it by using his magic energy, he could warp back to where he'd left it.

Link glanced around and noticed the room was empty; Zelda was not in her room.

'That explains why she didn't answer.'

Link treaded through the luxurious room, examining its features. Zelda's bedroom was a combination of what he would call 'A bedroom fitting of the royal Princess, yet one of a teenage girl regardless'.

The finely-crafted furniture, the expensive-looking silk mantles with gold embroideries that covered the drawer, the tiny table by the balcony, the sides of the bookshelf, the soft carpeted floor, the gold ornaments, and the other decorations showed this was indeed a room fitting of Zelda's position.

There were some stuffed animals over the bookshelf that still remained in good condition despite the years Zelda had played with them as a mere child. Link had to smile amusedly as he could see that she still held onto some of the innocence she possessed in the past.

Compared to the guest room Link slept in, this bedroom held an ever more noticeable air of luxury and extravagance that was honestly somewhat distasteful to him. It was not bad, but it was not his style.

Link let out a soft chuckle when he recalled the countless times he had visited Zelda in her bedroom after the King decided to watch over him. The fond memories that Link would never forget.

"She still keeps the dragon doll, huh..."

Link glanced at the red doll over the large bed as it stood out from the light purple sheets and he leaned slightly closer to give it a closer look. Two big green eyes, a big head, and black wings remained just like when Link bought it as a birthday gift for Zelda when she turned fifteen.

The blonde Hylian sat on the bed and let his body relax over it, feeling the softness of the absurdly comfy bed... it was surreal... He felt like sleeping again...

More memories began to swirl around his mind of a past long gone.

Memories of the time spent with a girl he'd had a crush on since he was a child that eventually... wait, it was too soon to even think about it so Link cleared his mind.

The sudden sound of a door creaking open alerted Link, so he rose to his feet in a mere second, sporting a rather surprised expression. Someone apparently opened a door, but it was not the main entrance. Instead, it was the one that led to the bathroom, and it was not Zelda, but her personal maid, Migdiada.

Dark long brown hair under her white headpiece, blue eyes, a rather cute face, a maid outfit composed of a dark blue dress with some sort of collar around her neck, and on her waist a white apron tied. The young man noted the intimidating and notorious neckline that showed off her generous proportions.

The free-spirited adventurer sighed, regaining his composure.

"Sir Link?" Migdiada blinked, startled, putting one hand over her ample chest. "I thought Sir Link was sleeping."

"I was..." Link snorted, eyes tired. "I came to talk with the Princess before leaving."

"I see..." The maid frowned. "I didn't even have the chance to attend to Sir Link properly..."

And there it was again, the maid looking at him slyly with hidden, yet obvious intent. Link couldn't count how many times this girl had flirted with him, only to be ignored as he simply was not interested in her, despite her beauty and stunning proportions.

"Thank you, but don't worry. I never needed anyone to take care of me before, nor do I need it now," Migdiada pouted at such an answer before cracking a smile.

"The Princess is inside the bathroom," The brown-haired maid informed. "Sir Link should go see Lady Zelda," She smiled slyly again, though it gave him a different sensation. "This may be the best moment to do so."

"Thanks Migdiada, but I think I should wait until..."

"The Princess trusts Sir Link completely," Interrupting him, she neared the entrance door, "So I don't think there should be any problem," The young maid grabbed the doorknob, stopping again. "If you'll excuse me, I will prepare the Princess's clothes for today's schedule."

After that, the maid left. Link sighed in uncertainty as his gaze was directed to the door of Zelda's personal bathroom while pondering about his current situation. It was surprising to see how knowledgeable the maid had become of his... unique relationship with the Royal Princess during the three years Migdiada had worked to personally attend Zelda's needs. The young maid was a very intuitive girl.

After building up some courage, Link walked to the closed door, and gulped. While he could simply wait, Link wanted to say his farewell as quickly as he could. The maid said it was a good moment to do it, so why not? Actually, he tried to convince himself that it was just because of Migdiada's advice, yet deep inside, the blond man just wanted to see the Princess promptly.

Link opened the door and stepped inside the room, his eyes widened at the sight before him, his face becoming slightly red. He sort of expected the outcome of his actions, heck, maybe it was the reason why he ventured inside, truth be told.

Zelda was indeed in the bathroom that happened to be thrice as big as the guest bath. Zubora's invention was installed, yet this room also held a sort of bathtub, and to its side were enormous windows that let the sunlight enter, illuminating just about everything.

Link's gaze was focused on the Royal Princess of Hyrule, who was at that moment, washing herself in the aforementioned bath, warm water came out from a spout that resembled a Wild Zora from the southeast lands of the country of Labrinna. There were some bottles that most likely were liquid soap, another useful invention of Zubora.

It should be said that according the previous descriptions, one could understand that Zelda was naked, much to Link's inner turmoil. The young princess was sat upon the inner edge of the circular bathtub, foam and bubbles covered the water and the important parts of her beautiful body, worthy of being called godly.

The sight of such beautiful skin exposed to him was alluring, mesmerizing. Link's eyes moved subconsciously across every inch of the woman's figure. Her hip, legs, her back. Her body as a whole neared perfection... he wished he could see more.

"Link...?"

A voice called his name, the trance broken. The blond warrior blinked, fully realizing his current situation. Link was not one to get carried away because of such events, with a few exceptions of course, namely, a naked Zelda. He could only avert his gaze as he could feel his cheeks getting a bit warmer.

As for the princess, she had finally noticed him, and while still sat, had turned her body slightly, one hand holding her golden hair and the other holding a small blue towel that she used to dry her body. She was glaring at him for reasons Link could already imagine.

"You are already leaving?" She asked, her tone held detectable irritation.

Link nodded, shaking off his now gone agitation. This was not the time to get intimidated. Link knew that, so he focused on the task at hand.

"I'm going back to the Lost Woods to search for Navi."

"Again?" Zelda used the towel to cover her inner parts as she stood up, "Link, you just returned, yet you are leaving already? We..." She stopped, briefly glancing at both sides as if to find the right words. "We... have so much to discuss."

"I know that Zelda," Link looked at her sternly. "But that will have to wait. Saria told me that a lone fairy has been spotted recently and I need to go look into it," Link darkened his gaze, eyes observing his left hand. "I can't lose hope, not just yet."

The Princess sighed, sitting over the bathtub's inner edge again, though this time facing him. The annoying towel still covered her chest and... her other parts. Link had to admit that some bad habits had seemingly stuck with him since his travels with a certain flippant and drunkard white-haired man and the hooded lady's man, as those two flirted with every beautiful woman they came upon, whilst in another world prior to his return to Hyrule.

"Link," A stern voiced addressed the slightly nervous warrior. "Is that really the truth?"

The wielder of Courage blinked, a frown appearing on his face. The Princess was about to start doing what she did best... Being absurdly intuitive.

"What do you mean...?"

"I mean, is searching for Navi the real purpose for your latest travels?" Zelda looked at him directly in the eyes. "You may fool others, Link, but I have known you for nine years now."

Link narrowed his gaze, getting somewhat upset.

"Finding Navi is my main purpose," Link answered before averting his gaze, far enough from her piercing eyes. "She is my valuable partner and friend. Even if I haven't seen or heard of her in all these years, what she was to me hasn't changed," The blond man made a fist. "Not to mention that traveling constantly has been my way of living since being a kid."

Drops of water continued to fall from Zelda's golden hair, while other drops trailed down across her naked body, some stopping on the towel, others moving across her hip until they met the solid surface of the bathtub.

A minute of silence elapsed as both stared at each other.

"Link," She began. "I know you've already given up on finding her," Just when Link was about to retort, she continued, unmoved by his distress. "You have been using Navi as an excuse to not remain in the Castle. Don't try to deny it, because you know it's the truth."

Link dropped his gaze.

"You are a born-adventurer, Link. No one can deny that. I have seen your excitement every time you prepared to leave the castle, and I understood that," Zelda lowered her gaze for some seconds until her radiant blue eyes met his again. "But please, don't lie to me."

With both hands resting on his hips, the young hero sighed as he had to admit that Zelda was correct... again... as always. The Princess of Hyrule was not like any girl he had ever met during his travels across this Kingdom as well as others... she was just too darn perceptive for his liking.

Zelda was a scholar at heart, impassive when facing hard times and danger. Confident and keen in every argument, capable of reading through anyone's actions and very diligent when she was to solve problems, mostly of diplomatic nature. Not to mention that she was a really capable spell caster due to her affinity towards magic. Of course, the Triforce of Wisdom she held was part of the many reasons she could handle magic with ease. There was no doubt for Link to discern why she held that particular part of the Triforce as he knew very well of her wisdom.

These sort of discussions were a headache to him because Zelda always had the upper hand. Even if Link was to be right, Zelda would easily turn the tables and get the last word. If one would add this to how much she knew him, it could be said that Zelda could read him like an open book, and win almost every argument.

Link concluded that Zelda's intelligence was rather fearsome.

"What do you want me to say?" Link inquired sternly.

"The real reason on why you keep leaving to begin with..." Zelda's face suddenly turned a bit red, her eyes fixated on the Cucco toy that floated on the water. "It's hard for me to see you go, unsure of what your destiny will be. There are so many dangers, and you tend to stand in their way for one reason or another."

"I'm technically a knight of the Castle, a Hyrule Warrior. I know how to defend myself, and I have proved it countless times," Link responded with a firm tone. "Impa trained me and taught me the Sheikah hidden arts, too. I don't understand why you still worry about my safety."

"Because no matter what you say, I care about you," Zelda retorted. "You do know how I feel about you..." She leaned her head a bit to the side, her legs moving across the water in a very intimate manner. "Don't you think it's time for you to settle down? Maybe... become more than just an unofficial Hyrule Knight...?"

Link stared at her thoughtfully after she spoke those words with a soft tone, fully understanding the implications of her offer.

"...Zelda," Link addressed her after sighing, her deep gaze colliding with his. "I can't... not just yet..."

"Why not?" Zelda kept staring at him, barely blinking. "Explain to me why, or is it that you can't? Is it Malon?"

Link's face took on a serious expression as he remained silent for a whole minute.

"She has nothing to do with this. If someone is to blame, then blame me," Zelda's eyes widened and that didn't go unnoticed. "Listen, there are still so many things I want to do before I even consider to settle down. Places to go, new lands to explore, new dangerous foes to defeat. My life belongs to the goddesses and my Kingdom. And my sword to the people that may need it. Right now, that's all for me."

"I see..." A weak smile emerged on the Princess's face. "I am now regretting having asked you that..." Zelda let out a resigned chuckle after speaking sarcastically, eventually making Link smile in odd amusement. "It can't be helped, I suppose..."

"I'm sorry Zelda."

"You better be..." This time, the beautiful princess averted her eyes from him for a minute, eventually returning to him with gleam, "Then what are you waiting for? I thought you were leaving. Or maybe last night broke your resolve?"

Link couldn't help his face going red but he quickly shrugged it off. A sly smile spread across the features of the blonde woman as she saw his reaction.

It was amusing how Zelda behaved when they were alone. She didn't act as overly formal as she did in front of her father or the guards. She had revealed to him over the years that she loved putting her position as a Princess to one side and just enjoy life. After all, Link had helped her multiple times in sneaking out of the castle to go and play in the market as kids. And when she grew, Link had taken her to visit the Lon Lon Ranch, Lake Hylia, Kakariko Village and the other places that interested her.

Some uncomfortable seconds passed.

"Certainly not," He finally responded, assuming a haughty posture, as he realized it was time for his sort of counter attack. "I will take my leave, my dear Princess..." Link smiled cockily all of a sudden, walking towards her and grabbing her delicate hand, before giving it a gentle kiss.

Widened eyes and a flushed face was all Link needed to see on the Princess before taking a step back and turning around.

Her silence was somehow soothing to him, as the only way he had discovered to perplex her, worked yet again.

It seemed Zelda tended to blush heavily when he acted like a charming and polite gentleman, which he only did because a nice nobleman had taught him the ways of captivating women. Some ridiculous, others informative yet Link found out that it worked on Zelda quite well. And upon other experimentation, Link realized that it actually worked with almost every woman he tried it on.

Link regretted doing it as it not only caused him unwanted trouble, but he felt like crap for deceiving and giving false hopes of love.

The blonde Hylian wasn't like those wealthy nobles that used their position and attractiveness to make women infatuated with them, only to cheat on them with the other deceived women. Though he had met women that did likewise with men. Whatever, being a philanderer wasn't an exclusive feature of nobles as he had noticed during his growth. Men and women alike, of all varied social status, could be frivolous.

However, having an easy-going, flirty and flippant personality didn't really mean that one was a hedonistic person in search of love. That Red-coated guy was the prove.

He blinked, a past memory invading his mind.

'Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none, and fight for good,' that's what a wise old man had told him once when Link wandered through Hyrule Market. It didn't make much sense to him as a mere child, yet as he grew, those words remained branded in his mind as a way of life.

Even in the darkest of times, those words shone with intensity inside his very being.

Link couldn't tell if he truly felt love, as that sentiment was hard to explain and impossible to understand. He never really thought of it as important because he knew that stopping evil in the world had a higher priority. It was just too soon for that, and now with the refreshed memories of what almost occurred last night, Link felt bad for having... not reacted like he should have.

"Link..." The unofficial Hyrule Knight stopped on his tracks when the Royal Princess called out to him. "I hope you find Navi this time... I know how hard it was for you that day when she left you... Please, don't be reckless and... come back soon..."

"I will. That is a promise."

Link closed the door behind him and breathed deeply, musing profoundly about his conversation with Zelda for a minute or two. After that, a green light enveloped him, and Link disappeared from the room in the same way he came into it.

Part 3

Link stood inside the stables of Hyrule Castle, caressing the head of Epona, his faithful silver bay horse and partner since his very first adventure.

After gaining her trust when a certain girl taught him Epona's Song, she had become his loyal steed, much to the ranch girl's surprise. Epona had always acted wild and untamed to everyone, even shying from Link the first time he approached her. Eventually, Epona grew fond of Link as a certain ranch girl had nodded in approval.

A whinny came from the mare, causing Link's smile to widen. He caressed her neck for a minute and then sat on some pilled wooden boards as he gathered his thoughts.

"What am I doing...?" Link muttered to himself.

The Hylian boy shook his head, letting out a resigned sigh as he knew that Zelda had most likely become upset by his sudden departure, albeit temporarily. It was amusing that his next destination was going to take him to do the same, but with another close friend of his.

Her name by all means was... Malon.

Standing back on his feet, Link neared his horse but was unexpectedly pushed by the mare's head. Link blinked a couple of times and smiled, petting her head.

"Let's go, Epona. It's time to pay Lon Lon Ranch a visit."

Part 4

"Hyah!"

With speed like no other, Link rode Epona across the enormous Hyrule Field, following the road that connected Castle Town and the cattle Ranch. As it was located in the central region of Hyrule field, it was taking him a rather large amount of time to reach it.

On the way, Link found a caravan that also had Lon Lon Ranch as its destination, drove by Talon, the owner of said ranch that happened to be returning home after delivering the famous and nutritious Lon Lon Milk and other milk-based products to the market stores in Castle Town, Kakariko Village and Hyrule Castle itself, as the King also knew of the quality of Lon Lon Ranch's products.

The little chat with Talon as they neared the ranch was quite informative. He told him that they now exported milk to other countries. Ingo, the short-tempered man that had now become Talon's right hand, had travelled to Holodrum to open another cattle ranch to expand their business. They now were aiming to open a new ranch in Gamelon, a small country ruled by the King's cousin, Duke Onkled, and Calatia, a hidden Kingdom located at the far west of Death Mountain ruled by Queen Seline.

In other matters of interest, Talon said that Prince Façade of the wealthy Kingdom of Arcadia, had come himself to witness the work done in the ranch, and had become their sponsor, one of the main reasons that allowed them to open a ranch in Holodrum. However, what caught Link's real interest about this was that Prince Façade was impressed by Malon's beauty and her laborious personality, to the point that he had not only offered her to open the greatest cattle ranch of all time in Arcadia, but also become his future wife.

Of course, Malon had rejected his proposal, which truthfully relieved Link, even if it was not his business. Nevertheless, Link had come to know that most Princes were the sort who loved playing and tricking girls with no nobility, so there was no way he was going to let a man hurt his dear friend.

No way at all. If it came to it, just as a certain acquaintance of his said once to an enemy, he would just kick his ass.

Finally, the Ranch came into view and Link found himself pleasantly surprised upon seeing how big it had become since his last visit. Three more buildings had been constructed with a wall connecting them, making the ranch twice as big as before.

The Hylian warrior dismounted from the horse as Talon's caravan entered through the now bigger entrance with a notorious sign that displayed the name of the ranch, he noticed the guards that Zelda had commanded to patrol the ranch since the horses that were used by Hyrule's army were supplied by this Ranch. Worth mentioning was that after Link introduced Zelda to Malon, both had unexpectedly become friends... not even the most terrifying monsters Link had defeated had made him feel fear as the time both girls met, getting along absurdly well.

That was a dark day indeed...

Link shook off the unpleasant memories from his mind and walked inside the ranch, pulling Epona by the halter. There were a lot of workers in the ranch, some of them doing the cleaning of walls and picking any garbage around. Others lifting and moving boxes from one place to another.

Boxes full of eggs, milk bottles and other dairy products were loaded onto more caravans as a woman by the name of Anju chased after the mighty Cuccos that had apparently escaped from their corral again. At least this time she had people helping her, now that she started working in the Ranch. Lon Lon Ranch was quite lively with so many people around.

Talon, the fat and bald man with a big moustache, also father of Malon, walked towards Link after leaving his caravan with the others. Link was a bit impressed to see that he didn't slack off as he used to in the past. He had changed over the years for the better, it seemed.

"Father!" A voice called out, irritation clear in it. "It has been two days since you left!"

The voice became clearer as a busty redhead with blue eyes neared the both of them with a furious gait. She sported a white shirt with a yellow shallow around her neck tied together, and a pendant that resembled the head of a creature only seen in books. A long purple skirt with a brown mantle in the front, a brown belt and brown boots completed her outfit.

The quite attractive girl ignored the blonde completely and only glared at the fat man.

"You were supposed to return by yesterday's noon," The woman pointed a finger to Talon's big nose as she continued the scolding. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop sleeping whenever you can if you are doing deliveries!?"

'Okay, there goes the thinking about him finally acting like a responsible adult...'

"It was a long travel, Malon!" Talon retorted, only fuelling his daughter's rage. "I had to sleep a bit so I could complete the deliveries."

"You may be right, so I will change my question," She folded her arms, putting a firm foot forward. "How much did you sleep?"

"Just a couple of hours..."

Fair enough. The distance between Lon Lon ranch and its delivery destinations was quite large, so sleeping was most likely necessary, considering of course the speed of a caravan that carried plenty of boxes filled with bottles of milk and other products. Link could concede that Talon had a point.

"How many times did ya sleep then?" Malon inquired, her expression sharper.

"...Eight times... or twelve maybe?"

A tick mark appeared on her head as she began to yell uncontrollably to her father about how irresponsible he was and all the worries he brought to her. All the various workers had gathered to look upon the certainly hilarious scene. Link was already smiling in amusement.

"Please Malon, don't yell at me... I'm still tired..."

"After sleeping that much? No mister!" Malon shouted, "You are going to feed every cow in the ranch without resting a single moment! Right... Now!"

"But!"

"But nothing!" The busty girl raised a hand and pointed a finger to the cattle stable, "Start walking, mister!"

Dropping his shoulders, Talon started to walk, sighing in resignation.

"Nothing has changed around here..."

Malon blinked upon hearing someone behind her, so she spun around and her mouth opened in surprise. Link looked at his close friend Malon with eyes of uncertainty.

"Fairy bo- I mean, Link..." She said, still startled.

It was then that the read-head realized the stares directed at her from not only the workers but from Epona and Link. A shade of red began to crawl into her cheeks as she finally reacted.

"Oh... eh... p-please return to your labors..." She stuttered. "T-there is nothing else to see here!"

After that, the gathered people returned to their jobs. Malon spun around, giving Link her back as she palmed both her cheeks for some reason. She breathed deeply and finally looked at him.

Link was grinning playfully.

"Stop looking at me with that dumb face," She growled.

"You made quite a show... again..."

"I guess I did, but my father's laziness just makes me so mad! He should be like Mister Ingo."

Link shrugged his shoulders and looked into the distance, where the inner field for the horses was located. The perimeter of the pasture-fenced field only held one entrance, working as a racing track for the horses. Link could remember the horse race hurdle competition that Malon challenged him to do, and the many races he had against her, Ingo, and various soldiers of the Kingdom.

Link always won as he had the best mare in all of Hyrule, his ideal companion Epona.

And speaking of her...

"Oh?" Malon was pushed from her side, and she noticed it was... "Epona! I'm sorry for having ignored you!" The girl hugged the horse. Link could actually tell that both females were happy to see each other, "I missed you so much!" Unexpectedly, an upset stare was directed at Link, "I can imagine whose fault is it that we didn't see each other in so much time..."

The blond warrior was startled by her sudden glare and took the smart response. Link just remained silent... he was a pro at doing that.

"C'mon Epona, let's go for a ride like old times..." She mounted the horse and glanced down at him. "We will be having some just-for-girls time, Link. We'll catch up later..."

With that, Malon rode Epona to the inner field, leaving Link alone. A smile crawled onto his face as he removed his hat, before folding both arms.

"A girl's time huh...?"

Part 5

Everything was black... Link could see nothing... yet, something resounded within the endless darkness. It was like fire burning vividly, but was it? There would be light if it truly was, or was he suddenly blind? He first felt cold, then a smell registered to his senses. Now he could truly tell that something was burning. It was hard to understand what was occurring.

Then something happened as his eyes began to distinguish some kind of shape, but he couldn't really tell what it was...

An unknown amount of time passed as his sight got a bit clearer. Yes, the form in front of him became clearer as a sudden deformed voice spoke forcefully, apparently coming from everywhere.

[You are an interesting kid, but what makes you think that you can handle my power?]

The deformed image of a Red Dragon breathing fire was all his eyes could see as a scorching feeling started to engulf Link's entire body. It hurt, as if he was being burned alive but he couldn't say anything, he could not scream in pain, all he could do was endure it.

Soon, the mighty voice spoke once again.

[Hahaha! You are indeed interesting! Then so be it... Bring glory to my name, partner, as I will bring glory to you!]

Fire erupted from the Dragon's mouth and enveloped Link completely.

Link closed his eyes and opened them again. The hellish sight was gone, now replaced by a clear blue sky, a soft wind gracing the skin of his face, the grass swaying gently from the breeze around him.

'That was another dream...?'

Link was currently resting over a grassy field with both hands behind his head.

"...?"

A sound of an animal nearing him made Link close one eye while the other looked above him; it was a white Cucco trying to pull his blond hair. To his relief, the dangerous animal only seemed to be playing.

Part 6

"So... what's the reason of your sudden visit...?"

Link stared at the redhead that was sitting in front of him on the aforementioned grassy field. Both were outside the ranch near an abandoned wooden fence located at the back of the main mill.

"I'm going to explore the Lost Woods again, so before I go, I thought I should leave Epona with you. She deserves a good rest from our last journey."

Malon looked at him blankly, and lowered her head bit.

"Twenty months, Link..." Malon sighed, her left hand grasping the green grass. "Twenty months have passed since I last saw you and what do you do when we finally see each other?"

Link said nothing as was usual, only waiting for her to continue.

"...At least Epona is here..." She muttered.

No visible change occurred with the blond male, his blue eyes just observed her in utter silence, only the wind breaking it at sporadic intervals.

"I... think... I think I missed you..." Malon said softly, dropping her gaze much to his surprise, "And you won't even stay..." She rested both hands on her legs. "You are an idiot..."

Again, Link used the same line he had with Zelda in the morning. Though it took him several seconds to phrase it.

"I'm sorry, Malon," He finally spoke.

Long minutes passed then, absurdly long minutes, both in silence. Link took this time to look at her closely and noticed she looked more feminine than he remembered... maybe it was because of Zelda's influence on her. Malon's hair looked well-cared and bright, her skin as well. Link could even smell the unmistakable scent of a perfume coming from the ranch woman.

He couldn't count the memories he had with her. Malon had been a good friend for him since they met as kids, and as both grew, they had become very close. Link could accept that he felt a bit more relaxed around the redhead than with other women, including Zelda, though there were always those awkward times where... well... she was a quite attractive woman and he certainly was not blind.

The male Hylian shook his head, his mind now recalling something more interesting.

"I heard..." Link began, earning her attention. "...That the Prince of Arcadia proposed to you."

Malon did what was expected and blinked in shock, her eyes darting from left to right as she apparently searched in her mind for a response.

"W-w-what? How do you know...?" She made a look of suspicion. "Was it my lazy father?"

The Hylian raised Kokiri simply nodded.

"That indiscreet man..." Gritting her teeth, Malon made a furious fist. "I'm gonna make him clean the entire field by himself!" After that, the woman breathed deeply as if to calm herself. She gazed at him, scratching her cheek nervously. "Erm... you see, I didn't imagine that he would do something like that out of the blue..."

"So... what was your response?" Link inquired with an amused tone, despite knowing the answer.

"I-I obviously rejected his proposal!" Malon exclaimed, mildly irritated. "I would never marry a stranger! Nor an idiotic man that thinks of himself as charming. He was so annoying!"

The Hylian man blinked at her outburst, musing if this subject was just embarrassing to her or if he ignored something that would explain her overreaction. She seemed to be far more disgusted about this topic than the grief Talon caused her on a daily basis. If the nine years Link had known her was anything to go by, this was something worth of consideration.

"I see..." Link made a neutral expression.

"Change that stupid face or I'm going to slap you, too!"

Link found himself blinking again before grinning, as he raised both hands to avoid a possible attack. She was the kind of girl that would resort to violence if the circumstances deemed it necessary.

"I never heard the part of slapping the Prince..."

Malon's surprised expression brought a soft chuckle out of him. Chances like this when Link could tease her were few, and now that he had one, he wasn't going to let it pass for all the riches of the world.

He may regret it later though.

"W-well, he tried to kiss me so he deserved it," Malon crossed her arms, her countenance changing notably as if she realized something in that exact moment. "Why are you asking Link? Are you jealous or something?"

Talk about turning the tables with Zelda, and Link had forgotten that the redhead was also good at doing it, though in her own way. While Zelda could win every argument with quick thinking and logic, Malon used facts that lacked logic, but made sense in some way, and in most cases, she only used her intimidating glare to shut him up.

Link averted his gaze to the side while Malon assumed a mocking expression of victory.

"Maybe I am..."

Malon's cocky smile was erased completely, eyes widened in surprise and locked on him, a soft tint of red spreading across her cheeks. Link looked back at her in silence and waited for her response. Epona made neighing noises during the short period of silence.

The redhead suddenly smiled graciously, the redness on her face remained but it was not of embarrassment but something entirely different. Her expression softened, her eyes now looking at him with inner fire. Link almost flinched at such anticlimactic change of demeanor.

Eventually, she switched her gaze to her long skirt, the sunlight giving her a radiant aura that was both startling and fascinating. Link couldn't stop himself from staring not only at her lovely face but at her magnificent body, however, it wasn't like him to let such thoughts crawl into his mind so he easily shook them off.

"Link... I've been thinking... Um... well... I've been thinking a lot lately and..." She paused, looking rather nervous. "You see..."

Her voice faded and Link frowned, musing about her sudden silence... it was not like her to act this shy, only when she... was she actually...?

"I see... what?" Link inquired, narrowing his gaze.

Malon pulled a lock of hair behind her ear, her eyes avoiding his. Link accommodated himself over the grassy ground and folded his arms, staring at her without blinking. He began to feel anxious for some reason.

"Do you... do you remember the celebration for the anniversary of the ranch two years ago?"

Link quickly evoked the memories of that day, her question serving as an instant reminder. He recalled the people gathered in the ranch, the party made within the inner field, the large bonfire in the middle of it blazing brightly as everyone danced happily, both workers of the ranch and the guards patrolling the area... well, the guards actually left their patrol to join the party. Large tables filled with food, drinks and more food.

There was a single event that made that party different from the ones held in the ranch before it. A somewhat embarrassing event that at some point didn't make Link feel proud.

In this party, it would be the first time he would get drunk, and Link swore to himself it would be the last... he hoped...

Despite the state Link ended up in, he could recall almost every moment of that eventful night, such as the group of musicians that he joined to play the music for the party, the tasty food, the delicious milk, the wine...

And then, Malon...

"Yes, I recall..." Link's mind returned to the present. "We have already talked about this, have we not? What about it?"

She ignored his question and threw another, tilting her head slightly. "Do I need to explain myself further Link?"

'Could she possibly...?'

"Why are you bringing this up now?"

"Because..." She gave him an intimidating smile, one he didn't see often on her, "Do I really need to spell it out for you?"

Link averted his gaze, blinking as he examined the situation. Something happened between him and the ranch girl during that celebration, and ever since, Malon had begun acting differently with him. It was that nticeable.

Some examples would be Malon watching her mouth on his presence when she never did, or acting more ladylike when speaking to him when her temper let her, not to mention the warm light of her gaze when she looked at him. He could be wrong but it seemed that she became romantically interested in him. This was his fault of course.

"I... don't think that's a good idea right now... all things considered..."

"Never mind then..." She shrugged her shoulders, startling Link further. "You should be thinking about the future Link, like when you are going to settle down and... you know, my lazy father wouldn't mind having someone else running the ranch with me..."

A brief silence came after her voice faded as she looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

Link felt extremely uncomfortable so he got up on his feet and breathed deeply, looking at the still-sitting redhead. "I suppose I should leave without seeing Epona, or she is going to follow me no matter what I say."

Malon dropped her gaze as Link stared at her in silence for a minute before both smiled at each other playfully.

"Leave already before I change my mind and make you stay," She said.

Link turned around and walked away, but not before glancing at her over his shoulder one more time. The wind blew slightly and caused her hair to flow gracefully with its rhythm.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea..." He whispered to himself.

Malon rested her body on the fence and sighed, looking at the blue sky and then to where Link had walked off to... he was gone.

Part 7

Link walked across a path hidden by nature, the unmistakable fragrance of an ancient forest invading his nostrils, the soothing environment to which he had been accustomed to as he grew up as a child of the forest.

Following the path only Link and a few others knew of, the young Hylian made his way into the Lost Woods; a maze of confusing forests that was feared for being endless. Local folklore talked of these woods as a haunted area, that made lost children transform into Skull Kids, a race of diminutive, mischievous beings that resided in the forests, while adult Hylians would become the feared Stalfos, skeletal warriors that were capable of using swords, shield or any other weapon.

This would only occur if the lost Hylian wasn't guided by a fairy.

Our young hero was of course, an exception.

Link eventually reached an area where a wooden bridge was located. It was a place that made memories of his childhood emerge, a place where he received a gift from his best friend, Saria. Not only in this era, but in another timeline he left behind. The bridge would lead him to the Kokiri Forest, home of the race called Kokiri, a cautious child-like and secretive kind that were accompanied by fairies, and the guardian of the forest, the wise Deku Tree.

However, this wasn't his destination... yet, as he was already in the place he wanted to be, so visiting Saria, the Kokiri, the Deku Tree and its Sprout would have to come after his search was over, and Link hoped it was for good this time.

Link took another path and entered a clearing with many tunnels. Seeing this, he raised a hand, a green orb of light originating over it, before it floated and remained where it was created. Link knew that as long as he left the spell of Farore there, he would be able to return to this safe spot when he inevitably got lost in the woods as he knew that was most likely to happen.

Never again would he make the mistake of venturing into this place without some sort of safety measure... he had learned the hard way that wandering in these woods unprepared was a really bad idea. After all, his second and one of the darkest adventures he had ever experienced occurred because of his carelessness... and a certain skull kid with an evil mask.

"Maybe I should have brought Epona..." Link commented to himself as he moved across the eerie forest, examining the ever changing surroundings.

Link opened a hand and an apple appeared on it out of nowhere. The blond adventurer took a bite of it as he continued to go deeper into the woods, musing about his latest visit to this area. The ancient forest held the same atmosphere it had when Link was a child, the chirping of birds in the distance, the sound of the branches of trees being moved by the wind, the odd feeling of anxiety this forest gave to his heart... it was as if nothing had changed, yet, he could not recognize it entirely.

He entered a tunnel and proceeded into another clearing, the eerie silence only broken by the sound of birds that made him feel a bit restless. What was with these woods... for real?

o-0-O-0-o

Five days had passed since Link set foot in the Lost Woods. His search still remained fruitless...

Despite that, Link had discovered many tunnels that most likely were portals to other dimensions such as Termina, and even other worlds, like one where a tournament was held to determine the next Queen of a whole Continent by command of celestial beings in order to maintain peace and prevent wars.

In contrast to most of his otherworldly travels, there was one time when Link was dragged into another world by work of an unknown being, only to be pulled out of that dimension and be summoned yet again into another. Eventually he discovered that an evil spirit sought to use him and five other persons with incredible abilities and weapons to bring chaos and destruction...

Link and the others managed to undo the damage they had done and defeated the evil spirit. After that, with the help of a powerful witch, each dragged warrior was sent back to their respective realities with Link and a certain Assassin as the exception as both decided to remain there due to some unfinished business.

Eventually, Link discovered a mysterious area that according to the local gossip, was a forbidden area because people never returned after entering it, so he, along with his companion, decided to explore it. Link was then surprised to find that said place led them into a twisted tunnel, most likely a portal of sorts, which connected that world to the Lost Woods of Hyrule.

With the help of a magical gem granted by the powerful witch, Link not only managed to find his way back to the Kokiri Forest but also the portal that sent his companion back to his own world.

Without doubt, Link could tell that was one of the most amazing adventures he'd ever experienced, and truth to be told, one of the funniest.

Link would never be able to forget the few but unbelievable adventures the Lost Woods had led him to, nor the few interesting people he'd met during those travels. The incredible things he had seen and discovered, the allies he had made and the foes he had defeated were also things he would never forget. Yet this trip wasn't to explore the Lost Woods and... other worlds, but to search for his fairy companion as he had done multiple times in the past. Venturing inside one of those endless holes was out of the question during this journey.

The Champion of Hyrule entered a new clearing, which was darker than the previous areas. Link narrowed his gaze upon noticing the marks on the ground and the trees. After examining them closely, Link determined it was burn marks, as if controlled fire was created here. Link moved to observe other marks and upon close inspection, he noticed cuts on one trunk.

He could tell that some sort of battle had occurred in this place, which was obviously unusual.

This finding also made him frown as the possibility of spotting a lone fairy could have been only a light created by this battle.

But it was too soon to accept that as a fact.

Link proceeded to the next area, a bottle with clear water materializing on his left hand. He drank half of its contents while looking around. The cuts and burn marks became far more noticeable as he advanced; there were even destroyed trees that now laid on the ground... and blood, there was drying blood splattered on the ground and over the trees.

Well, the part of a battle occurring around here was without a doubt an undeniable truth.

Then... who battled inside the Lost Woods?

Link could think of some possibilities, such as travellers from other worlds arriving to the Lost Woods and for unknown reasons, engaging in combat. But seeing the burn marks, someone that could control fire at will and use it without starting a forest fire may have been a wizard or a spell caster. And the cuts indicated a sharp weapon was used, such as a sword or maybe a spear.

Another possibility could have been the unknown monsters that inhabited the deeper parts of these endless woods, capable of creating fire and possessing sharps claws, though the latter seemed unlikely as there was no sign of such claw marks, and Link had never seen that sort of monster in all his travels within the Lost Woods.

However, anything was possible in this haunted place, making any theory of his remain just that, a theory.

o-0-O-0-o

There was a tunnel located in the highest part of a wall covered with vines that clung over the expanse. Link would have never noticed it if it wasn't for the trail of blood that led him to see it.

He pulled out the Longshot, a useful and improved grapple device that consisted of a handle that could fire a spring-loaded chain with a hook in the end, which allowed him to transport himself to determine locations he couldn't reach by just jumping or teleporting, by pulling his body to them.

He never knew that this item was actually magical until he showed it to Zelda, who told him that it defied all laws of physics, allowing anyone to use it without causing harm to its user.

Link aimed the grappling device towards the vines near the tunnel and pushed its only button. The spearhead was fired and moved directly to its intended destination, finally hammering the vine wall and subsequently pulling Link to it. The blonde warrior grabbed a vine upon reaching the highest part of the wall and climbed the edge, successfully reaching the hidden tunnel.

The Hero entered the dark tunnel warily, knowing very well that he could end up by accident in another dimension or world if he was careless... that happened to him when he chased after a certain skull kid when he was eleven after all. Once bitten, twice shy, ain't it?

Link raised his hands. In one a Deku stick materialized, in the other, a tiny shining red orb was created, which happened to be another of the few spells Link could control, Din's Fire.

At first, Link could only create a dome of fire around him that engulfed anything in its range until it faded away, though Link always remained unharmed. With Zelda's tutelage, Link managed to control the expansion of the fiery wall, allowing him to concentrate the spell on orbs of lesser size. Link then learnt to make the spell end at will or move the fiery orbs towards any direction he desired, until they exploded by his command.

Finally, Link managed to perfect this powerful spell by creating some sort of filter that allowed the created fire to burn only his target, ignoring everything else. An example of it would be that he could create the dome of fire inside a wooden room and only burn a desired object of Link's choosing.

The tiny ball of fire moved slowly to the top of the Deku stick, lighting it up as the minuscule ball of fire disappeared. The provisional torch illuminated his surroundings, so the adventurer went deeper inside the tunnel until he reached a small field, and in the middle, was a hole, not too big but certainly not small.

The oppressive atmosphere kept Link alert, the darkness furthering it to the point that he questioned his own perception. Wandering these ancient woods for a long period of time always made Link's mind get a bit agitated, his gut telling him that he was at risk of being harmed.

The feeling of paranoia would only get worse if he was to continue wandering the woods, so Link realized he had to be as quick as possible. The young man rested a knee on the ground and leaned towards the hole, putting the Deku torch high enough so the fire could illuminate it. It didn't work as the hole seemed absurdly deep, so Link threw a rock and waited for the inevitable sound of the rock crashing on the solid surface.

The sound never came...

Keeping his gaze of the hole for several seconds, Link widened his eyes as he felt a presence behind him. The Hylian spun around and watched in shock as a whole trunk was sent as a projectile towards him, so he took immediate action and rolled to the side, the trunk crashing into a barely visible wall.

Link didn't even have the time to scan the area as a ball of yellow energy advanced in his direction. Taking it as hostile, the blonde Hylian put aside the Deku stick and used the mythical Hylian Shield to protect himself and prepared for impact.

The ball of intense energy collided with the shield, an enormous force behind it that pushed Link slightly as he maintained his foot firmly on the ground. The energy dispersed and Link was left in the dark, the smell of fresh blood in the air.

Something really dangerous was near; his guts told him that.

The smell of blood ended abruptly as the temperature dropped violently, cracks appearing on the ground, making him narrow his eyes in bewilderment. To his shock, nine bright yellow orbs appeared before him, illuminating the strange being between them. A demonic Knight if he was to describe it.

This new presence used a black armor with white edges that looked demonic due to its twisted forms. Its shoulder pads had two sharp-looking blades attached to them, the heavy armor seemed to emanate a repulsive red energy. The helmet had two horns and it hid the face of the one who wore it almost completely, only shining orange eyes locked on Link as if trying to pierce through to his soul.

A shield was attached to its left arm, while the right hand carried a battle axe with the same twisted forms of the armor and shield. It was an imposing sight, a terrifying one, but Link was not affected by the sickening atmosphere it created. He had seen far more terrible things and this was far from being the worst he had fought.

While somehow familiar, Link had no idea of the being's identity, nor his motives for being here. At least, Link could tell that it wasn't friendly. In fact, the apparent demonic knight seemed to be on the offensive as it moved slowly but mightily towards him. Every step the demonic knight took made a loud reverberation through the atmosphere.

"We FinAlLy MeEt, HERo of TiMe."

Its deformed voice echoed in the area, which Link recognized as the one that talked to him in his dream in Hyrule Castle. Each step it gave burned the grass of the ancient woods, the yellow orbs moving along with the fearsome being as it advanced leisurely. Link stood up and readied himself for combat, silver plating covering his fingerless gauntlets with a red gem in the middle.

Link scrutinized the evil being over his shield while in his other hand appeared the Kokiri Sword, the hidden treasure of the Kokiri, which Link used as a boy during his first adventures. In Termina he met a certain blacksmith that, oddly enough, had the same name as the famous alchemist in Hyrule, Zubora, with his scary-looking companion, Gabora, another strange coincidence indeed, but it was not that surprising as Termina was in another Dimension.

Zubora upgraded the Kokiri Sword into a better one called the Gilded Sword after Link gave him a bottle of gold dust, but when he returned back in time for certain reasons, the sword returned to its original shape. After that, Link decided to not upgrade it again as he came to the conclusion that the small sword should retain its original form because it was the treasure of his first homeland, the Kokiri Forest.

The green-clad warrior now used the Kokiri Sword as a dagger class weapon for close-combat encounters, using the Sheikah techniques he learnt from Impa to be a more swift and agile fighter according to the situation at hand.

Link put on his back the Hylian Shield and walked warily to the dangerous being, pointing the sharp tip of the 'Kokiri Dagger' towards his opponent.

"THoU And ThINe COmraDes, WhO hASt BroKEn tHe CHaiNs oF DesTInY aNd MoLDed iT," The demonic Knight spoke again, both warriors standing one in front of the other. "ThE ConClaVe hAsT gIven Its VerdIcT, DiMenTIa NEedest oF thEe, PRouD WaRrioR!"

This knight talked in an archaic way Link had seen only in books of old, and while he could still understand him, he had no idea of what was being said until he heard its last words.

The Conclave of Dimentia, said to oversee and protect every existing world and dimension, which Link only knew existed because he, along his otherworldly partners, had faced their Sentinels in battle after discovering they were corrupting an entire reality without knowing it.

"Whose blood is this...?" Link questioned darkly.

The dark presence gave no reply for several seconds. Standing immobile, fiery orange orbs locked on Link as a cold drop of sweat trailed slowly from the blonde's forehead... If this being was as the other Sentinels sent after them in that other world, then he was about to sweat blood in the coming battle.

"An EViL sOul tHaT hAsT STraYeD fRoM Its DEstiNeD roaD..." The demonic sentinel finally responded. "ThE LosT WoOdS haSt BeCOmE tHe RooT Of DiMenTIa, THerEfoRE, thE ConCLaVe haSt DeCiDEd to PrOTeCt It frOm aLL THreATS."

Link was having a hard time recollecting all what was being said. He had no idea what Dementia was exactly, or why these sudden events were occurring.

"I believe we showed the Conclave that we meant no harm back then. We defeated the true guilty party behind the corruption and restored the balance in Gainos," Link lowered the Kokiri Dagger, intense eyes looking without any fear back at the demonic being. "Why is the Conclave after me now?"

"BeCaUSe oNly ThoU hast thE InSTrumENts tO ChaNGe ThE FloW of HistoRY, OnlY ThoU cAneST ReSToRe The BalAncE..."

Link narrowed his gaze, subtly looking at his left hand.

"HerO Of TImE, ThOu ConTrOleSt ThIne Own DesTiNy anD MolDesT OtHeRS. DiMEnTiA NEEdS ThEe!"

Link blinked twice. "They need me? For what?" The little sword disappeared from his hand as he crossed his arms. "You didn't really give me a warm welcome before, so why should I trust you now?"

"To TEsT tHEe As We caN't RelY oN SomeOnE weAk To AccoMplish thy TAsk. THoU MaY CaLLeSt It a COnfIRmAtiOn."

"Yeah... right... Then what is Dimentia exactly?" Link inquired sternly. "The Lost Woods do not belong to you or the Conclave but to the Kokiri, the Deku Tree and the Goddesses. Your protection is not needed."

The odd Axe evaporated like air suddenly, the figure raising the empty hand as one of the yellow orbs floating came to it before expanding. Images suddenly appeared in the middle of the yellow light, to Link's surprise.

"I bEg To DiFFer... DiMenTiA is ThE EndLesS GRoUp of poRtalS thAt ConnECts EvERy ExistENt DimEnTiOn oR WorLD TogeTHer," The not so unfriendly figure responded. "We ARe AwAre oF Our LimItaTionS, MortAl. ThIs iS a TemPOraRy meAsurE We aRe TAkinG to EnSurE No onE usEs anY PorTaL unTil THY BaLaNcE is ResTorEd. THe ConCLave NEveR DoeS AnyThing FoR NauGHt. WhAt ThoU ARe sEeiNg nOw arE SomE oF tHE wORlDs cOnNecTed tO thEsE wOoDs."

A boy with pink hair breathing fire towards a naked guy, a blond boy with tan skin hugging a brown-haired girl with eyes of different colours in a beach, a spiky-haired boy running away from a brown-haired girl that apparently could control lightning, a blond boy with an orange outfit talking with an enormous frog, giants attacking a city surrounded by tall walls, a brown haired boy garbed in red and white summoning a monster from a card, a blond short guy that had a metal arm as he walked across a city accompanied by a living armour.

These were some of the many images the ball of light displayed to Link... it was unbelievable.

"...Explain why," Link said sharply as more images of amazing and incredible places continued to appear one after another in the yellow light, "There are probably many others more capable than me to handle this."

"In ThIs VeRy MOmeNt, ThoU HaSt thE MeaNs To AcComPliSH iT. ThE PowEr To DefEaT aNy Foe, wHeTher iTs as a Hero or Oni, and ThoU EveN caNesT ConTrOl TimE itSelf. TheRe Is no DouBt ThaT Thou aRt MoRE ThaN SuiTaBLe tO AccOmplisH ThIs. BeSIdeS, The REliC in ThiNe PoSSessIon AllOwS ThoU To UsEsT THE PorTalS of DimEnTIA, WhiCH to Any One else WouLd Be ImpoSSible."

'Hmm... Then that's why Ezio couldn't go inside that portal until I entered it with him...'

Link nodded in acceptance, yet still suspicious. What did he mean by 'as Hero or Oni?'

"Wait a second," Realization hit him. "A friend of mine told me that a lone fairy was spotted recently through these woods. Have you seen one?"

"That inFORmaTiOn wAs a Lie. If yoUr friEnd hEaRd ThaT RuMor, iT was BeCausE oF ThE ConCLAvE. WE NeeDEd to MakE ThoU COmEst To us."

A piercing expression spread across his face, gritting his teeth in anger. This bastard had tricked him into returning to the Lost Woods by using Navi, the nerve of this guy! Link could only calm himself to muse about the implications. The Conclave knew of his past somehow, which could only mean that they probably observed his world and many others. Whether it was with magic or any other mean, Link began to suspect that they were some sort of watchers that monitored all existing realities.

"BeHinD tHOu liEsT the ENTraNcE of A WoRLd ThAt Is DesTIneD to PeriSH, anD iF It Does, Not Only ThAt WorlD will Be DesTroyEd but ManY OTherS, bEgiNning WitH ThE One ThOu CaLLesT HoMe."

Link tightened his gaze upon hearing it, this problem had become personal.

"...I don't have a choice then. How do I restore order?"

"ThE BlAcK SeEdeR... A beIng oF InMmenSe PoWer iS AimInG To DesTroy DiMenTia's BalAnCe by CoRruptiNg aLl dImEnTionS. THoU hast already EnCounTeRed onE oF itS MinIoNs WhEn tHoU and the OtHer FivE wERt DraGGed tO GaInOs."

"I see... Can't you or the Conclave deal with it?"

"ThE BLacK SeeDeR wAs FoRmErlY A WArlOck of ThE ConClaVe, wHoSE InCreaSIng HaTred To aLl eViL WitHiN DimenTiA MadE him REbEl aGAinSt THe ConCLave, ClaImInG thAT ThE OnlY WaY tO EraDIcaTe eViL waS To WipE OuT EvERy EXistEnT dimEnSioN."

"You haven't responded to my question," Link spoke seriously.

"HmM... The BlaCK sEedEr HaD StoLeN aN ArtiFact That aLLowEsT hIm tO TRavEl AnD enTEr diffERenT DimEnSIonS FrEEly. If We wErE tO IntErvEnE, he WoulD bELIKeLY To uSE It tO ElUde Us aGain as hE Can SenSe our PreSence. We, The SEnTinEls, Are NOt AlLoWed to Go InSIde ANy ReAliTy UnleSs ThE CorrUptIon StarTest To CONSUme A WorLd. THaT is The ReAsoN We NeEdest tHee To SToPesT The CORruPTioN BefOrE it rEacHest CriTical leVEls."

'Very convenient...'

Link lowered his gaze again to his left hand, pondering about the sudden events. This problem was caused by the people that supposedly watched over every existing being, yet they couldn't deal with it, instead leaving the tough job to others... Well, at least there was an apparent solution...

"What if I fail? I assume that you are prepared for that possibility."

"We aRe AwaRe of YouR caPabiliTieS, HEro Of TimE, as We AlsO ConSidEr THoU A ThreAT tO THe CoNClaVE. HoWevER It Be, FaIluRe iS nOT An oPtiOn iF ThoU WiSH To PrOteCt YoUr OWn RealiTY."

The Hylian would have to take down the Warlock that was called the Black Seeder, who previously tried to use Link and other warriors from different dimensions to corrupt another world some time ago.

Link observed the hole on the ground. "I need to jump here then?"

"YeS... wE DetEcteD thE SamE CorRupTIoN in tHiS RealiTy," The Dimentia Knight replied. "WhiLe sTilL LiTtlE, ThE corRUptiOn wIlL IncREaSe OveR TiME. It NeEdS tO Be sTopPed BefOre wE ARe ForCeD tO IntErVenE... HoWeveR, ThoU aRt gOinG to HaST tO SeARch For tHe SouRCe of tHis CorrUptiOn By YoUrseLF."

"Nothing is never easy..." Link muttered. "Do you happen to know what this world I'm going into is?"

"InDeEd... bUt ThOU wIlL nEEd to aDapT by tHoURseLf," Link raised an eyebrow, his expression displaying his worry.

Link observed the hole for a mere second before turning back to where the Dimentia's sentinel once stood. Blinking, the young warrior realized that the demonic-looking knight was nowhere to be seen... it was gone, along with its powerful presence.

His search for Navi had led him to a situation he never imagined would occur. A new foe had appeared and his goal was to destroy every existing reality, which was a concept Link had yet to fully grasp. He had faced a minion of the warlock before apparently, responsible of manipulating him and the other dragged warriors into creating havoc in a world not of their own.

Now the Master of that pawn was aiming to corrupt another reality to eventually destroy it and spread the damage to other dimensions; that much Link had understood.

Link closed both eyes, breathing deeply, before opening them. There was no use thinking about what he would do as there was only one PATH he could take. That being could be deceiving him, after all, the demonic knight didn't look like someone that belonged to an organization that preserved the balance of different realities... Link could sense the evil in this being, but if what was said was true, Link couldn't remain with arms crossed either. The Fate of countless people depended on him.

"A quest befitting of the Master Sword..." Link sighed. "It's too late for that now..."

Link stepped closer to the hole, warily giving it another look. He was going to jump into an endless hole, just like he did by accident as a kid when he ended in Termina. Even in this sort of situation, the young hero couldn't help but getting excited, as he didn't know what awaited him on the other side. While he was determined to put an end to the Black Seeder's plans, the blonde's adventurous spirit was shining brightly once again.

A new adventure was about to begin, a dangerous one but heck, Link had not only defied the laws of Time multiple times, but had broken them. He had faced foes one never had, even if the odds of winning were scarce. A dimensional corruptor would make no difference.

So after adjusting his gear, Link observed one last time the hole and jumped to it, darkness instantly swallowing his surroundings.

Part 8

It was dark...

Link couldn't tell how much time had passed since he jumped into the endless void, but he felt nothing, heard nothing, saw nothing, yet he could still tell that he was falling, but for how much longer?

He had jumped inside these sort of seemingly endless tunnels before, but unlike those other times, he couldn't tell how much time had passed. Just... where was he now?

A radiant light soon came into his sight, originating from his left hand. The Triforce of Courage was shining over his gauntlet, emanating a soft golden light that soon engulfed his entire body. Something was about to happen, he could tell. The deep darkness was soon replaced by multiple iridescent mixed colours. Link tossed his eyes around to observe the odd surroundings, his body still falling as he noticed that those strange changing colours went in every direction.

It was surreal, yet beautiful.

Suddenly, an enormous form was soon noticed by Link when he turned his head, realizing that he was not alone. His eyes widened upon discerning the true form and size of what was approaching him.

It was a massive Red Dragon.

It had a horn on its snout, two set of wings, and its scales looked as solid as rock. To say it was huge was an understatement. The red beast flew around Link as he continued to fall into the endless void, its fearsome golden, reptilian eyes locked onto him.

A feeling of intense dread took over his body, just like the time he faced the monster form of Ganondorf in a timeline left behind. An ephemeral fear soon covered every nerve ending in Link's body, but the Hylian shook it off and formed a fist with the hand that held the sacred relic of the goddesses.

"Ain't this fascinating...?"

The powerful voice of the red Dragon resounded in the infinite space, the green-clad warrior flinching at the sheer volume of its voice. Link had seen powerful monsters before, but the being flying around him was something else. Link could sense unimaginable power coming from it.

"How come this little bastard is alive?" The red Dragon spoke again, "Let's see."

Link blinked when an enormous hand with sharp claws was extended below him, so he quickly spun around in mid-nothingness, and landed on its palm. He stood on his feet slowly and observed the draconian figure looking at him in all its mighty glory.

Blue orbs met gold shining ones.

"Hmm..." Its hot breath came out, pushing Link slightly as the dragon seemed to examine him, "What do we have here...?"

Link readied himself unconsciously, putting one hand on the empty scabbard on his back, which earned a menacing chuckle from the mighty being.

He had seen various dragons during his life as an adventurer, fought many, even one that was once dear to him, but the cruel reality and an evil man turned it into a mindless monster... Link had never felt such regret and pain in his life after killing a dragon that had been a friend to him.

But that was left in the past as he had returned to a point where said friend did not meet the cruel destiny that it was supposed to face.

"Did a snake bite your tongue, tiny punk?"

Link's train of thought was shattered abruptly by the voice of the beast, that somehow looked amused... even if it was a dragon, Link could distinguish its facial expressions as if it was human...

"Such a pitiful face, kid," The Dragon spoke again as the Hylian put a hand by the sheath on his back, nearing its head to him. "What do you intend to do with that empty sheath?"

Link narrowed his gaze, gritting his teeth aggressively.

"That's an interesting expression, punk, one that I don't normally see..." The Beast smiled wickedly. "So you want to pick up a fight with me, HUH!?"

Link quickly scanned his surroundings as the claws of the monstrous hand began to close over him. The warrior rolled forward and used the Hookshot on the left wing of the beast, successfully getting out of harm's way as the hook barely pierced the wing. The lack of the reaction on the Dragon told the blonde that it didn't cause any sort of pain to it.

As expected, the Hyrule warrior was pulled by the chain towards the hook, but to his shock, the wing moved suddenly. The hook was released and the chain returned back to the tiny item. Which meant that Link would begin to fall again, yet a blue orb surrounded him before that could occur.

He was upside down inside the orb that floated in front of the Dragon's snout, its golden reptilian eyes observing him with interest. This orb was probably created by the Dragon to keep him controlled, or that was what Link thought. It seemed reasonable.

"Nice try kid, but it seems you have no idea of who are you messing with," The magic sphere surrounding Link came closer to the beast's eyes as it finally turned around, putting Link's body in standing position. "Can you talk?"

The Hookshot disappeared from Link's hand as he gazed fiercely at the Dragon, deciding if he should respond or not... He understood what it said, so the language was the same apparently.

"Yes..." He responded.

"So you do talk, little punk," Link raised an eyebrow, wondering why such an incredible beast talked in such manner... it kind of reminded him of that flippant guy he met in another world, "Who are you and how did you get here?"

"I'm Link... a traveller of sorts..." He crossed his arms, "I came here to hunt down a Warlock that is aiming to destroy this world..." Though honestly, Link couldn't tell what could be destroyed as there was nothing around here, but this enormous Dragon.

The Dragon was silent, as if it was absorbing his answer.

"Let's make this short," The Dragon raised a draconian finger and moved it towards Link. "I hate long conversations so this will have to do."

The blonde blinked as the finger entered the orb surrounding him, and everything faded out.

Part 9

"Tch! You are an annoying sleepy bastard! Wake up already!"

Link opened both eyes abruptly, raising the upper part of his body as if he just had a nightmare... and he apparently continued to be in one as the Dragon observed him closely from its hand. The Hylian tried to get on his feet but found he couldn't... he felt weak.

"You have a fudging sleeping problem punk," The powerful beast said, slightly irritated. "I was about to drop your ass into the endless abyss."

"I... see..."

The dragon didn't expect more words from Link apparently, as it was startled, a little... But then laughed for no reason, startling Link this time. It was hard to tell what was going inside the mind of the large beast, though it wasn't really surprising, considering that this empty place could make anyone or anything insane, human and intelligent beasts alike.

"First, I gave a quick glance to your memories, kid, or should I say, Link..."

The blonde boy raised an eyebrow at the mention of his name, but still remained silent. He wondered what the Dragon was implying when it said 'a quick glance at his memories'... Could it be that the beast had read his mind somehow while he was unconscious?

"That relic in your right hand is quite something, I'm impressed..." Link ignored his lack of strength and stood up regardless, startled at the sudden compliment, but more when the dragon mentioned 'relic'. "No wonder why you weren't affected after being exposed to the nothingness of this gap. It seems you told the truth, huh..."

"So you know about it? This relic...?" Link asked hesitantly.

"The Triforce of Courage, you mean?" Link was shocked. The Dragon had indeed looked into his mind, confirming that the huge winged creature was powerful, and was fully capable of at least getting inside of his mind despite the protection that the piece of the Triforce gave him. "Your world is interesting... maybe I should pay it a visit."

Before Link could ask how the Dragon could achieve that, it spoke again with renewed interest.

"So those shitty fanatics of Dimentia's Conclave are involved in your current affairs?" The Dragon inquired, thoughtful of these events. "I wouldn't recommend you trusting them. They are foolish nut-jobs I tell you."

"You certainly are not the image of sanity either, so I will only trust my instincts," Link replied, his features hardening. "...Who are you?"

Two gazes clashed again, both were unwavering.

"Hehehe... I don't know if you are incredibly stupid or just plain ignorant," The Dragon narrowed its golden eyes; a powerful pulse came from its body, paralyzing Link. "Though from what I have seen, I could say you are a fearless bastard."

Link tried to move but he found he couldn't, as if he was restrained by an invisible force... He soon realized it was the Dragon's presence, which intensified all of a sudden.

"I, Great Red, am known as the Dragon of Dragons! The True Dragon!" Great Red's voice resounded again in the empty area, fading eventually. "So watch your mouth around me, boy! You wouldn't want me to get pissed."

Link blinked.

The beast called itself the Great Red, the Dragon of Dragons, which probably meant there were more of them. Link wondered if the other beasts were around here, and hoped he was wrong as he already found himself in a difficult situation with this one.

"So..." Great Red began. "You are after that damned warlock... I knew that asshole would eventually become a pain in the hide when I first met him," Turning its massive head to the side, it muttered, though it was loud enough for the man to hear. "But there is something off with this story."

Link blinked upon hearing this useful information.

"I wouldn't believe he was attacking this dimension if it wasn't for your messed up memories, so consider yourself lucky," The red beast looked at the odd colors in the distance. "I'm in a good mood today, that is if this place had a sense of time or direction in the first place," The boy tightened his gaze at what was revealed, "Anyway, I want to see how far you can go with this... though I'm particularly interested in the other you inside that mask you carry."

Link was shocked... again. Apparently, Great Red knew everything about him, for real, even about that mask, which Link avoided using due to its particular characteristics.

"I have only one question... well two actually..."

"Spit them out..."

The Hylian pondered a bit. The massive dragon before him knew quite a bit of whatever what was occurring, even mentioning Dimentia's clan. He could prove to be a valuable source of information.

"Where am I? And..." He paused briefly, assuming a piercing gaze. "Are you really going to let me go?"

Seemingly everlasting seconds passed, both of the characters falling silent.

"Yes... in fact, I'm gonna give you a hand so you won't show up there with a bare ass, not knowing a damn thing," The dragon's snout let out a sound as if sniffing him, "Although, you happen to know a bit already of the people in this world by the knowledge of another."

Link stepped back while raising an eyebrow in mild confusion.

"...So you are going to help me?" Link narrowed his gaze. "Why?"

"That shitty warlock is also a problem for me, if what those fanatics said is true," Great Red raised its other draconian hand, "Anyway, to answer your first question, I'm going to grant you knowledge of this dimension to make things a bit easier for you... It may hurt... a lot."

The Dragon chuckled wickedly as its index finger touched Link's head before he could react. In that exact moment, Link knelt in intense pain as multiples images and influx of information entered his mind without stopping. Link rested his hands on the dragon's palm, gritting his teeth as he endured the massive amount of pain spreading through his body.

Apparently, the current place Link found himself in was not the place he was intended to reach due to an unknown interference in Dimentia, sending him to a gap between three existing worlds.

The Dimensional Gap Link was in, connected to the three different worlds, which were the Earth that belonged to Humans, the Heaven of celestial beings called Angels and the Underworld that was split apart in two regions, one for the Devils and the other, for the Fallen Angels. These three worlds apparently existed in the same dimension.

Then images of a large scale war entered his mind.

Angels, Fallen Angels and Devils... Three factions of supernatural beings that waged war thousands of years ago in a conflict for Supremacy.

The Great War that occurred between them thousands of years ago was not won by anyone due to the several casualties the Three Factions received during the war, causing the loss of their main forces, ultimately leaving them with no other choice but to retreat and leave it unfinished. While the war between the three factions ceased, there was no peace between them either.

And so, occasional conflicts continued to occur for countless millennia, though nothing that would start the unfinished war left behind.

"Gah!" Link screamed in pain as the images finally stopped entering his mind.

The agitated Hylian inhaled and exhaled heavily, blinking as the mark of Courage shone with intensity. Drops of cold sweat trailed down his forehead as he took on his surroundings, and to his relieve, the intense pain was gone.

'This dimension is a bit familiar, just like that one...'

"What was... that?"

"A little knowledge that I can bet will come handy," Was the reply of the powerful beast. "Enough! It's time for you to depart, annoying kid... or should I call you... Hero."

Link blinked as a blue orb appeared again, enveloping him. The orb began to shine, causing Link to cover his eyes. He had already accepted that speaking now would be futile, so he let whatever that was going to occur unfold.

"We will meet again if you prove your worth, kid," Intense light covered Link's surroundings, even if he tried, his eyes could no longer see a single thing, "I'll observe you for some time, punk. You better not disappoint me."

And so, the ball of light faded, and the blonde inside the orb with it. Only the omnipotent Dragon remained in the gap between three worlds, smiling.

"Now, now... I suppose it's time to visit that shitty Conclave again..." Great Red glanced at its right hand, where an otherworldly warrior once stood. "Good luck, kid..."

Part 10

Link opened his eyes, his sight meeting an odd green... sky?

The Hylian stood on his feet in one swift move, sharp eyes scanning the area around him. He was in the middle of a forest... a dark creepy forest in fact. The ominous green sky certainly didn't help stop the feeling of restlessness growing within him.

The forest was totally different from that odd place where Great Red resided, and while Link appreciated that he had left the dimensional gap, Link had no idea where he was at the current moment, which was equally bad... well, not that bad but still bad enough for him to call it trouble.

This place didn't look like the celestial Heaven, nor the Human world, so Link came to the conclusion that he was in the Underworld, where those creatures called Devils and Fallen Angels resided... That dragon sent him to the Underworld instead of Earth? Link sighed as he wondered if there was a purpose for Great Red to do so. For all he knew, maybe the dragon was just wanted to mess up with him.

Whatever it was, Link noticed he had bigger issues at the moment.

The two magical pouches Link carried were gone, and with them, all his items, arsenal and food. Link searched for them around but didn't found any of the two, worsening his current situation. His shield and the empty sheath were gone, too.

This was a grim situation. He was in an unknown area after all, and who knew what kind of dangers lurked around... even more if he was in the Underworld. Apparently, it was daytime, as there was no moon around... or maybe the moon didn't exist at all. Nonetheless, he still could tell that he indeed was in another world by just looking at the sky.

'Devils and Fallen Angels...'

Link suddenly noticed something burning on his forehead, so he trailed his fingers across it and realized there was something in there, not physical but of a magical nature. It was something on his skin, but couldn't be felt it with mere touch, as if it was some sort of mark. The Triforce of Courage was also shining intensely through his left glove, which meant the sacred relic was protecting him from something as it did in the dimensional gap.

With nothing more than twisted trees around and the pain on his forehead gone, Link advanced, observing carefully anything that might help him know where he was going.

o-0-O-0-o

Hours. Countless hours had passed as he moved across the endless forest, yet Link didn't feel like he was advancing... at all. It was like he was walking in circles, making the warrior suspect that he was either in a haunted forest or someone had cast a spell in the area to cause this effect.

He was already feeling hungry, thirsty, and somewhat tired. It was true that Link had made long travels before, but he always carried the equipment needed to make it possible. It was also odd that he hadn't encountered a single animal or insect since he set foot in this wretched forest, furthering his suspicion about a possible trap.

However, there was nothing else he could do rather than continue wandering, hoping that he would reach a way out. As he continued though, he grabbed a rock and marked several trees while advancing to make sure he wasn't returning to the same places.

The air was somewhat dense, his anxiousness rising, a feeling of being observed emerging as he continued to go deep in the green endless hell he found himself trapped into. Eventually, Link sighed and decided to take a short rest before moving again.

Would he die like this? If he didn't find a way out, then was he going to starve to death? Not even the mightiest monsters had achieve his death, nor the most powerful wizards and witches that sought to kill him, or the countless adversaries he had faced in both Hyrule and the other worlds. Maybe this forest would?

No... it was too soon to start thinking like that.

There were many people that would mourn his death, many friends and companions that would blame themselves for not being there when Link needed their help. The burden, the sorrow, no, the goddesses were with him, the mark of Courage was inside him, if the King of Evil couldn't kill him, then this place wouldn't.

A new adventure had just started. His quest to find the Dimentia's Corruptor, The Black Seeder, had begun. He had to find him and bring an end to his plans. Link could accept his intentions, as they were to eradicate evil, but to destroy every single dimension in order to achieve it? Even if he was to destroy just one, Link would not allow such a thing to occur.

With renewed conviction, Link stood on his feet and advanced again before stopping as something came into his mind. Link removed his magically attached long cap from his head and looked inside it, only to smile in relief as he retrieved a purple rock.

The purple stone in Link's hand was a gift granted by the Swamp Witch of another world, which shone to allow its holder to find what he desired. The rock would always shine as the person holding it, looked in the direction where his/her desire was located. Whether it was a place to be, an object the holder wanted to find, even people or animals, the rock would direct its holder to the location of what he desired the most at the time.

For example, in this very moment, Link desired to find a way out of the endless woods.

Holding it, the Lust Gem, which Link preferred calling the Gem of Hope, shone when he turned around. Gazing at the gem, the Hyrule Warrior began to move towards that direction, sharp eyes and senses ready if anything should occur.

'Thankfully, that Dragon didn't take this gem from me.'

An unknown amount of time elapsed as Link advanced without stopping, finally reaching a clearing where a pillar was positioned in the middle. It was jet black and adorned with intricate red patterns.

Link neared it cautiously, and after seeing it didn't cause any harm, the Hylian inspected it. The shining red symbols carved in the pillar were of unknown origin, though he could remember seeing them in the multiple images that entered his mind when Great Red granted him knowledge of this world.

The Gem of Hope ceased shining, so Link knew what to do. This shady-looking totem was apparently related to Link's desire to leave the forest, which meant that if it was destroyed, then maybe something would occur. After examining the totem further, Link came to the conclusion that a good hit would shatter it as it apparently wasn't made of rock, as he first thought, but of some energy that tried to resemble its characteristics.

Link adjusted his gloves and delivered a punch to the pillar, a high pitched noise resounded in the area as a pulse came from the totem. Another punch crashed on the pillar followed by another, visible red cracks that let out energy spreading from the point of impact to its sides.

Eventually, Link stopped, gave some steps back and assumed a fighting stance he learnt from Impa, breathing deeply for several seconds before dashing to it with a powerful kick that impacted with the damaged totem, finally breaking it apart and unleashing a strident wave of red energy that sent Link flying away until his back crashed into a tree.

Link coughed, opened his eyes, and noticed the hole created by the totem's explosion. Panting, he scanned the area in its entirety. Some trees were damaged with leaves continuously falling from the branches, yet what caught his attention were the strange-looking birds flying in the sky.

The blonde stood up, grunting in pain due to his aching back, and realized that whatever the totem was doing was a thing of the past as the sounds of insects and animals of the night came into his ear-shot. Returning the purple gem inside his cap, he looked into the distance, his eyes meeting tall structures far away, taller than the trees themselves. Link put his cap back on, bracing himself for what may lie ahead...

If Link was to find devils, he would deal with them if they proved to be hostile. After all, demons and devils were almost the same in his book according to his experience in other realms, even if the term Devil was foreign to Hyrule. Though he could remember hearing that word for the first time in Termina when a younger him met the undead composer Flat, who stated that his brother Sharp, sold his soul to the Devil... whatever that meant.

Link came back to his senses as he left those memories behind, and headed to the tall structures. The Hylian was exhausted, his hunger was making his stomach growl nearly constantly, and his muscles ached horribly. He swore that the first thing he would do was to find drinkable water. That's what any smart person would do.

As he neared his new destination, the tired warrior began to hear strange voices in his head, whispering indecipherable words. Link tried to ignore them as it was probably an effect of his tiredness... he was seriously worn out.

Without warning, an explosion occurred in the area near him, followed by screams of agony and fear. Link wasted no time and dashed to the source, forgetting about his exhaustion... at least temporarily. However, the Hylian came to a halt due to an overwhelming feeling invading his senses. Link slowly looked to the side, a purple shining crack opening on the middle of nothing, revealing something he never expected to see inside.

The cracks began to disappear as the object inside it was released. Link observed with widened eyes as a mask fell to the ground in slow motion.

It was the Fierce Deity Mask.

Link couldn't understand the meaning of this strange event until a new crack appeared just in front of his face, opening as it revealed a golden reptilian eye.

"By the way, the mark on your head was a spell that granted you the True Language, so you can speak normally. Also, your equipment has been scattered through the Human World, so at least I'll leave this dangerous toy in your care punk," Great Red's voice came from the crack. "You'll need it if you know what I mean... God..."

An amused laugh came after those words, the cracks sealing as Link darkened his gaze.

"What are you trying to pull, Dragon?" The Hylian muttered, picking up the mask.

An uneasy feeling came over him, the same he always felt every time he held that mask in his hands. This was the mask that anchored a power beyond understanding, the mask that transformed Link into the Avatar of a mighty Evil God, Fierce Deity.

Its origins were unknown to Link as he obtained it from Majora itself, an evil spirit that resided in a mask, just like the one Link was holding, though the Majora's Mask only caused insanity to its wielder... Never in his life had Link met a being whose only purpose of existence was to cause suffering, despair and destruction. Madness was the word to describe what Majora was.

And so, Link observed the mask that could turn him into... The Feared Oni.

Another scream was suddenly heard, and right after it, a new explosion. Link turned left and moved again, going through many bushes with the mysterious mask in hand until he reached an area where two enormous columns stood, one in front of the other, marking it as a gate of a long wall. It was most likely to create some sort of limit or perimeter. Around what though? That was the new question.

Yet, that was of no importance as what really caught Link's attention wasn't the place he now observed, but the gathered people in front of the walls. There were armored soldiers trying to fend off the continuous attacks of a short-haired blond man that wielded a great sword, each swing creating pulses of red energy, demonic energy in fact.

"Is this all that those shitty Gremory will send to me!?" The short haired man growled. "I'm being fucking insulted!"

Link tightened his gaze as he observed the events unfolding, cloaked in the bushes.

Even more guards appeared from the gates, wielding swords with strange forms and shields with odd patterns. The attacker, seeing this, turned around and swung his great sword horizontally, creating another pulse of red energy which hit every guard, brutally blowing them away.

The amount of energy released was abnormal, this man was abnormal, not to say dangerous, that much Link could tell... things weren't looking good.

"Sirzechs Lucifer! I demand your presence! The Blade of Kasgor the Vile is eagerly waiting to taste your blood and show you which family is greater!"

Link gathered both names mentioned. One: Sirzechs Lucifer, while the other, Kasgor the Vile, which was probably the name of the blond man that held the great sword.

Kasgor's killing intent was almost palpable as he continued his assault on the powerless guards that tried to fend him off. Link gritted his teeth in anger upon witnessing the massacre occurring before him. That man had to be stopped, no matter the cost.

Link had no weapons to face him, yet his mind was already crafting possible strategies to deal with the attacker as he studied Kasgor's movements and attacks carefully. Everyone had a weakness, no matter how powerful the being in question was. Monster or human, it made no difference.

Fighting an opponent without being able to counter any attack wasn't a good option though, not while there were so many people that could get caught in the battle. Doing so would result in many getting injured and killed. If Link could study his opponent more, he would be able to come up with an effective plan to neutralize him, but the circumstances were grim and he couldn't afford to waste any more time.

What other option had he then? Let Kasgor just kill the guards?

For whatever reason this guy had, Link wasn't going to let him murder anyone. He failed once when protecting a certain individual some time ago, and he wasn't going to let anyone die on his watch ever again.

Link lowered his gaze slowly, a chilling expression covering his face as his eyes reached the mask in his hand that held dark powers beyond his understanding. The mask that was so powerful that it destroyed evil with such unnerving ease, and made Link become cold-hearted towards all evildoers.

The Oni... The Ogre...

Yes...

The Fierce Deity...

Link could count the times he used it as they were so few, he was after all, more than capable of handling his enemies with his keen mind and various strategies, even if they were much stronger than him, faster and bigger, Link emerged victoriously in every battle.

However, there were those times where the dark powers of a certain mask were of need, and such was when Link faced Majora inside the cursed moon in Termina.

Link narrowed his eyes, gaze focused on the mask as his expression darkened.

Part 11

Within the walls that stretched across the southern territory perimeter of the Gremory Clan, one of the remaining pure-blooded Devil clans after of the Great War, not to mention one of the highest-ranking and famous families of the Underworld, several guards stood in a line formation in front of an empty area.

In said empty area, the ground began to glow before a red magic circle took form from the light, creating a symbol that represented the family of Bael, the highest of all 72 pillars of Devils within the Underworld that held the Rank of Great King.

The guards observed in expectation as the magic circle glowed brightly, a person emerging from it. The silhouette of a muscular man came to their sight, giving the guards hope.

Sairaorg Bael, next heir of the Clan of Bael, stood with a serious expression, his violet eyes observing around him. Black hair, a muscular build, and a handsome face were his physical traits. He wore black pants and a black jacket with white and gray patterns in the middle.

"Lord Bael!" A guard addressed the tall man. "We appreciate that you came to deal with this problem. Even if it doesn't concern the Bael Clan, you are here."

Sairaorg nodded, smiling, "But it does concern me. As the cousin of Sirzechs and Rias, it's sort of my duty to protect them!" The man let out a chuckle. "I will never forgive anyone who dares try to bring harm to the Gremory Family."

"As expected of the bravest young devil!" A female guard shouted in excitement. "Lord Bael is so honourable and manly!"

"If the other Bael Clan members were as kind as Lord Sairaorg is..."

"My, my... Hehehe..." The tall high-class devil rubbed his nose, as if mildly embarrassed. "Enough with the compliments, otherwise I will believe them. Hahaha!" After another chuckle, his expression hardened. "Anyway, where is the troublemaker? I'm going to fig-"

A sudden pulse shook the walls, a massive amount of energy exploding outside the Gremory Territory's stony perimeter, earning a shocked expression from all who is there to bear witness to it. The turquoise energy made the ground tremble as the dark sky started becoming even darker.

Sairaorg didn't waste time and jumped to the top of the wall to discover the source of the mighty explosion of energy. Overwhelming dark energy that had in fact come from a person... a man... a devil...?

"Is... is that the mythical Bishamonten?" With a shocked expression, Sairaorg asked himself at seeing the man that was the source of the sudden commotion. "This... this can't be!"

The turquoise waves of energy ended soon, only a small trail of it surrounding the dark figure that stood in front of a short haired blond, guilty of the current attack of the Gremory's Territory as Sairaorg had seen through a vision-circle inside the Gremory Palace.

Kasgor, as he had called himself, was a rather tall blond man with dark green eyes that wore a black jacket and grey pants. He was staring with great interest at the unknown being standing silently some meters away from him.

"Ain't this interesting...? Who is that?" Kasgor asked to a guard lying on the ground with a broken leg, yet the guard still tried to get on his feet using his sword as support. "That much power... he isn't a servant, so is he a member of the Gremory clan?"

"Like I'll answer to you, bastard!" The guard grunted in pain, causing Kasgor to tsk.

"Whatever you say, useless trash."

Kasgor turned around, smirking wickedly at the silent devil and examined him, all while Sairaorg observed them from afar. He was waiting for the events to unfold before acting.

The imposing man had white hair, white piercing eyes, red marks over his cheeks and a blue one was over his forehead. He wore a light blue long cap, black pants and a black shirt under a tunic of the same colour as the cap. Over the tunic, a chest armour with two yellow patterns that resembled a waning crescent moon and a triangle. Brown boots and black fingerless gauntlets completed the outfit of the mysterious being.

The fiery and intimidating posture of this... devil, as both Sairaorg and Kasgor had acknowledge him as, was intense, unlike anything they had seen before...

However, to Sairaorg, it was more shocking the resemblance this unknown devil had to the draw of one of Seven Gods of Fortune, Bishamonten, known as the Fierce God of War in Japanese mythology. Only in the tales of his ancestor and first head of his clan, Zekram Bael, Sairaorg had heard of this Mythical being, who participated in the Great War as a neutral force with the only aim of destroying those with evil hearts.

Sairaorg could be wrong, but the sketch his ancestor made of that Fierce God had a noticeable similarity to this newcomer... maybe he was Bishamonten's descendant?

"Maybe I should ask him myself?" Kasgor gave confident steps, unimpressed by the large amount of magic energy his new opponent exuded before him. "So who might you be, huh? Did the Gremory send ya?"

Kasgor the Vile, a high-class devil from the House of Barbatos, got no response from the white-eyed devil, causing him to grit his teeth in irritation. He, who had made various devils lick his boots after showing them that he was superior to them in every way, and this unknown bastard wasn't only ignoring him, but interrupting his attack on the Gremory?

"You asked for it, scumbag!"

Kasgor gave one more step forward, planting his foot firmly on the ground and swung his great sword vertically, unleashing a red pulse of energy directed at his enemy, all while smirking.

Sairaorg observed as the magic-based projectile advanced to its intended destination, the unknown devil, and waited. The fierce-looking devil glanced at the pulse impassively and raised a hand, a blue ball of intense fire materialized over his hand for mere seconds until he formed a fist. A pillar of turquoise fire suddenly exploded in front of him, which negated the pulse completely.

"What...?" The blonde devil raised an eyebrow as he became obviously startled. "You possess magic, I see. Well, that makes this even more interesting!" Kasgor swung his sword repeatedly, pulse after pulse advancing towards his target.

This time, however, the white haired Devil didn't move, yet every time a pulse was about to hit him, turquoise light enveloped him and he appeared elsewhere, totally avoiding every attack as if he moved at a speed no sight could see.

"He is teleporting continuously," Sairaorg commented to himself, still remaining immobile. He carefully watched the fight as he was intrigued by this unknown individual. "He indeed must be a high-class devil..."

"I see..." Kasgor darkened his gaze. "You are not a mere devil... I'll get fucking serious then..."

The Barbatos devil raised his great sword upward with both hands, red energy enveloping it as the ground cracked beneath his feet, small rocks levitating due to the concentrated energy on Kasgor's blade. Without further notice, the yellow-haired demon lunged forward, each step further cracking the ground as he advanced with surreal speed towards his opponent.

In that moment, the other devil with the red marks on his face tightened his gaze, moving his hand to his shoulder as from nothing a weapon materialized on his back out of turquoise energy; a two-handed longsword with an odd form. It was like two blades of different shades of green intertwined in the middle and on the point, creating its sharp tip, both blades beginning from the cross-guard.

The unknown devil grabbed the sword that was attached magically to his back by the hilt and waited until Kasgor was within range, both delivering a swing of theirs swords respectively. Red crashed with turquoise, the latter quickly consuming the other one after a mere second. An explosion occurred after that as both battling devils were consumed by the huge amount of unleashed demonic power.

All nearby guards were blown away by the explosion as Sairaorg covered his face with his left arm, shocked at witnessing the devastating blast from the two opposing forces, yet he noticed the red one disappearing almost instantly.

Seconds passed as the outburst of demonic energy dissipated, dust covering the area.

Sairaorg was expectant, eager to see who was standing still, and when the cloud of dust dispelled, he wasn't really surprised by the outcome as he had earlier foreseen it.

Part 12

The dust was no more; the ground had large cracks all over it as a noticeable mark in the area showed the perimeter of the explosion's reach.

A Hylian who was currently using a certain mask, looked imperiously at the bloodied and unconscious man on the ground, the great sword broken in half lying some meters away from its owner.

Link, who was now the wielder of the dark powers of the Fierce Deity, examined his defeated foe before raising his sharp gaze towards a man standing on top of the walls nearby. The guards around the area were already helping each other to stand up as they attempted to flee.

It seemed he had caused quite the impression just now, though it wasn't surprising. The power this certain mask gave him was incredible, just as the legends spoke of it. Upon using the Fierce Deity Mask, Link transformed into a Fierce Evil God, whose immeasurable power had always tried to corrupt him, yet the Hero was strong enough to resist its influence.

As a kid, Link had used it for the first time and had enough control to remove it after defeating Majora. And since then, Link had trained his mind as he grew to be able to wield it for longer periods of time without the corruption altering his mind-set. One thing could be said though; the Triforce of Courage had helped him a lot in achieving it.

Fierce Deity Link put the mighty Double Helix Sword on his back and locked his eyes on the new presence, which seemed different from the foe he had just defeated. The Oni could tell this man was far stronger than the one that called himself Kasgor, yet it was too soon to assume it was an enemy.

The unknown man showed supernatural abilities by jumping from the tall wall to the ground, four meters away from him. Was he another magician or magical knight? Or maybe those devils and fallen angels that existed in the Underworld... so where were his black wings then?

Whatever the case, it mattered not. If he would prove to be hostile, then the Oni would deal with him properly. Never holding back and granting no mercy.

"It's impressive..." The purple-eyed man spoke, putting on an amused expression. "You don't have even the tiniest scratch, and the slash from this man from the Barbatos Clan had a considerable amount of power within it... Even I would have suffered a bit of damage in that explosion."

'Barbatos Clan... There are clans, I see...'

The Oni gave no reply, his sharp eyes still focused on the man.

"Hmm... I'm Sairaorg Bael, the Next head of the Bael Family," The muscular man spoke. "Who might you be? You did us a favor by taking down this idiotic troublemaker, so at least I'd like to thank you."

"I have no name..." The Oni replied quietly.

Sairaorg blinked and then smirked.

"I see... For someone to be this strong and have no name... You may indeed be a descendant of Bishamonten after all, yet that dark energy," Sairaorg crossed his arms. "Your magic power is nothing I had felt before, so it makes me wonder from where you came... Do you happen to have a family, nameless devil?"

'Bishamonten...? And Devil...? He thinks I'm a devil then...? Mm...'

"I don't," Was his short reply.

"That is odd..." The black-haired man put a thoughtful hand on his chin. "A stray Devil perhaps...? Though I have never heard of one that..." Harsh eyes were soon directed at the Oni, Sairaorg adjusting his neck with a snap. "You are strong and have no family, so I can't let you go."

The Oni said nothing, and put his hand on the grip of his sword.

"While I'm eager to fight you, nameless devil, I think we can solve this peacefully," The Bael's future head put one hand on his hip and pointed the other towards the Fierce Deity. "If you were to surrender, I would see you receive no harm as I have no evidence that you committed any crime... yet."

The Oni gripped his sword firmly for several seconds, causing Sairaorg to put on a serious expression. Eventually, as both glared at each other, the unknown devil let go of his sword, the intense aura he exuded before now gone.

Sairaorg relaxed his posture at that.

Before the muscular man could speak again, the ground at his side glowed, the light forming into a circular shape as a symbol appeared in the middle. The Oni narrowed his gaze upon seeing the rare phenomenon.

"I could have handled this, you know?" Sairaorg said to two figures appearing from the shining circle of the ground.

If the Oni wasn't emotionless, he could have widened his eyes in surprise. The two figures that emerged from the circle that most likely was of magical origin, were a man and a woman.

The woman was simply beautiful, having silver hair and matching eyes. Her hair flowed all the way down to her back, featuring a long braid on each side with tiny blue bows at the ends. The rest was let down, which consisted of two thick but lovely braids. She wore a blue and white maid outfit, much different than the ones Link had seen that displayed long sleeves and a white maid headband over her head. She probably used the kind of cosmetics Zelda normally used that made her lips look bright red.

However, what caught the Oni's attention was the man standing proudly at the woman's side.

Shoulder length crimson hair and blue-green eyes were his prominent traits. He looked rather young, as did the woman at his side, probably in their early twenties. The man wore a dark green vest with three gold strings that connected both sides over a white robe. He also used a black chest armour with gold patterns stretched over his outfit and black spaulders with golden edges, the one over his shoulders being bigger than the next three that protruded under the first spaulder.

The Oni could sense an air of nobility coming from them somehow.

"I appreciate your offer, but I think I will take care of this, Sairaorg," The man with crimson hair spoke to him casually. "This gentleman means serious business after all."

"Really? To see you intervening into this sort of thing is rather unusual," The muscular man replied with mild surprise. "Is it because of Grayfia?"

Blue-green eyes met white ones as the armored man stepped towards the Oni.

"No..." He glanced briefly at the maid. "It's not every day that we meet an Evil God, Sairaorg..." The man to whom the redhead spoke widened both eyes, sporting a shocked expression for plenty of obvious reasons.

"Evil God...!?"

'Evil God...? Even in another world, I'm called that again?'

"Indeed," The maid that was addressed as Grayfia responded while nodding. "Such as Lord Loki or the deceased Lord Balor. That is why he has no master as he is far beyond being a mere Devil."

'So I'm not a devil then, but an Evil God.'

Majora called the spirit inside the Fierce Deity Mask, the Bad Guy, which Link first assumed was just because of its twisted mind, but Link soon discovered that upon wielding it, divine, yet dark, energy flowed through his entire body. There were no words to explain what he felt when he used the mask's dark powers beyond his understanding.

Was he evil when he wore it? No... He wasn't as he only used it for good, yet every enemy he had crushed with it stated that his presence was evil. In the end, Link concluded that he was only called evil when he wore it because he in fact looked evil, wicked, sinister...

The man with crimson hair gazed at the silent 'Evil' God and spoke.

"Yes, so I wan-"

He was cut off when Grayfia walked forward and stood in front of the Oni God.

"Sorry for our lack of manners," She bowed. "Lord Nameless, you are in the presence of Lord Sirzechs Lucifer, leader of the four Great Satans, also known as the Crimson Satan. He is the Great Demon Lord of the Underworld."

'Demon Lord...? Like Evil King?'

Sirzechs looked somehow surprised, only nodding as the maid continued to make the presentations.

"You have already met Lord Sairaorg so I will present myself," She bowed yet again. "My name is Grayfia Lucifuge, a maid that serves the House of Gremory. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

As she said this, countless guards soon appeared around the area, some of them approaching the small group from the inner walls, while others came down... flying...

'Black wings... So they are indeed the beings I have seen in those images... Devils...'

Soon, Oni Link found himself surrounded by the Crimson Satan and his guards. To answer in kind, he grabbed the grip of his sword again, his posture menacing as it made every guard give a step back in fear.

"Stand back!" Sirzechs commanded as he raised a hand to the side. "He isn't an enemy, at least not just yet, so lower your weapons..." The crimson-haired devil paused. "Because you are not an enemy to us, are you?"

The Fierce Deity remained silent, eventually letting go of the sword on his back as he crossed his arms. He was willing to listen to them as they didn't appear to be evil, despite being called devils, unlike the one he had just defeated.

"Good..." The Crimson Satan nodded, as every lance and sword was put down. "So, I would like to ask you some questions before anything, nameless god."

The Oni suspected that these people had seen his confrontation with Kasgor from somewhere before arriving. He wondered what Great Satan meant, though he could tell that these Devils apparently organized themselves as clans or families, such as the three mentioned so far which were Gremory, Bael and Barbatos.

"Beware of what you may ask..." The Oni finally spoke, his voice grave but somehow young.

"Fine then..." Sirzechs nodded. "First of all, did you say the truth about having no name?"

No response came from the Oni, and his face didn't make any notable change either.

"I'll take that as a yes..." The redhead smiled, "Where do you come from?"

"I do not come from this world. That is all there is to say," Oni Link replied curtly.

The devils frowned at his response, exchanging short glances. Link wasn't lying, but he wasn't giving any real information either as he simply thought there was no need to, at least not yet.

"It's not really surprising as Evil Gods don't reside in the Underworld, but in other realms..." Sirzechs looked briefly at the sky. "What is your purpose by coming here?"

Oni Link darkened his gaze, startling them a bit. So far, he could see clearly that this was some sort of interrogation, so he suspected that these... Devils... were making sure he wasn't their enemy. It was understandable, yet a bit unnerving.

"I don't recall. I can't even tell how I got here..."

"...Well, that is most troubling," Commented Sirzechs, as Grayfia, who stood at his side, just remained with her hands locked, a solemn expression on her face with eyes closed. "What are you going to do now if you don't recall your purpose?"

The Oni once again remained silent, yet this time was because he was pondering his next reply.

His mission was to find the Dimentia's Warlock, Black Seeder, and put an end to his plans, which was to corrupt this dimension and spread the corruption throughout every existing reality.

Now he found himself being interrogated by creatures called Devils, which were different from how he had seen them in other dimensions. Link couldn't exactly tell them that he was from another world and what they were seeing now was the power of a mask.

He wondered what they would do if they found out that he was not truly an Evil God, not even a devil or anything related to this world. He was after all, a Hylian from the magical Kingdom of Hyrule.

And beyond all that, he was the Hero chosen by the goddesses of his Realm. Yet, Link suspected that revealing that information wasn't going to be a good idea as he didn't know how the relationships between the factions and races worked in this dimension.

For now, he would be an evil god that has lost some of his memories... it was ironic, considering who Link was...

"I will walk where the wind takes me until I recall my purpose," Oni Link finally replied.

Sirzechs blinked and exchanged glances with Sairaorg, who nodded with arms folded. After that, the Crimson Satan returned his gaze back to the Evil God.

"How about if I help you find one, or at least, help you recall the purpose you previously had?" The Demon Lord unexpectedly offered. He seemed to be a kind person, despite being called the Devil King. "We, the Gremory, are always pleased to help anyone that may need it. And if an Evil God has lost his way, there is no way that we would overlook that."

A whole minute passed in silence as Sirzechs Lucifer waited expectantly, when suddenly, the unknown evil god spoke again.

"I am listening..." The Oni's opaque voice echoed quietly.

Part 13

Inside the Gremory Palace, three females observed the unexpected event that was currently happening near the southern borders of their territory through a vision circle created with demonic magic.

One of them had very long black hair that was tied with an orange ribbon into a ponytail. Her eyes were purple and she wore a dark green dress, displaying some of her generous proportions. The one sat on a large luxurious sofa had blue-green eyes and beautiful long hair that reached down to her tights that possessed a vivid crimson colour. Her outfit was composed of a red dress with black borders and a ribbon on her hip.

Finally, the oldest of the three had shoulder-length brown hair and deep purple eyes. She sported a white dress, and on her neck, she had two necklaces with red oval jewels on them. It wasn't necessary to say that they were beautiful. Supernaturally so.

The three women were deeply intrigued by the newcomer, who seemed to be fierce and powerful. Not to mention what Sirzechs had said before leaving to greet the unknown man.

"He is not a stray devil, he is an Evil God."

The crimson-haired girl feared the outcome, as she knew that Evil Gods only sought to cause suffering and destruction. She wouldn't stand doing nothing if her dear brother, Sirzechs, was to fight an Evil God, even if her cousin Sairaorg was with him.

But as the minutes passed, it now seemed that the Evil God would cooperate with them, so to her relief, there was no sign of an oncoming battle.

"Oh my, my... That man sure is intimidating..." The black-haired young beauty commented as she smiled, putting a hand on her cheek.

"He indeed is," The woman that somehow seemed older agreed.

The girl with crimson hair looked closely through the vision circle, observing every feature of the white-haired god. She had to accept that this man was a bit interesting.

'An evil god, huh...'

"Ufufu..." She let out a soft chuckle, earning the attention of both women sat near her. "Maybe he could prove to be a good..."

"Rias?" The brown-haired woman addressed her.

Rias Gremory glanced at her mother before smiling again, her green-blue eyes shining with unusual intensity.

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Link is hiding his human or Hylian form from the devils with the Fierce Deity Mask. What do you think he is planning for the future?

"Migdiada", by the way, means "Nap" but in Catalan language.

The kingdoms and characters mentioned in Part 4 were not invented. They are actually from the Zelda animated series and CD-i games.

To those that don't know, "Oni" is the word used in Japanese Folklore to name the supernatural beings known as Demons, Devils or Ogres. In japan, "The Fierce Deity Link" was called "The Oni Link".

Here's another interesting piece of information. The Fierce Deity in the Majora's Mask was actually based in Bishamonten, a japanese god of war that destroyed evil without mercy. The dark powers though may be attributed due to Majora giving Link that mask as Majora called The Fierce Deity the 'bad guy', and even the game states that the powers of this mask were darker than those from Majora.

I welcome comments, whether there are inquiries, doubts, critiques or compliments. Don't be shy, let me know what you think.

- Frank