Tie-in

Link kept staring right at his aunt wide-eyed, trying to digest the scraps of information that boiled in his gut. Question after question poured down his racing mind.

That was when their sensitive hylian ears picked up a rumbling from near. Before they were able to react, the earth under their feet shook violently as if it wanted to shake off all of its little ground dwellers, leaving them stumbling and screaming and toppling on the snowy ground until the earth settled down once again. "…what was that…?"

Soon after they got their composition back, they picked up panicked flailing and quickly approaching noise from the village. All three turned, aghasted by how the feature of horror distorted the running man's normal visage into one of a mask. "What happened?" his aunt asked harsh as he stopped ahead of them, wheezing like a yak and with sweat of both rush and fear fighting whether to colour the skin in red heat or white snow. "Tha-the s-smith" he wheezed, suddenly grasping the lady's shoulders in despair, a face of terror. "The f-fire – it's out!" "WHAT?! You're kidding!?" The second she responded, the expressions of both aunt and cousin turned into furious stones and even the little girl squeaked lightly. The smith's fire out?! That'd never happened since they found the village and made it their home. "No way!" his aunt and experienced wife of the unluckily right now deceased only smith pointed then commanded everyone to rush back into the village.

They were greeted in a chorus of chaos, confusion and terror – the earlier earthquake had rattled too much on some houses, luckily most uninhabited, and most would be busy looking for injured.

If it hadn't been for the racing rumour that the town's smith had been damaged. Everybody knew it was one of the worst possible things to happen if the only source of heat, water, harvest and life died down. Link literally had to shovel their way through the horrified mass flanking the main entrance of the smith. It was only natural for them to expose such fear – if they weren't able to produce the food they required for surviving, it would eventually lead to giving up homes and travelling the lands once again, and most of them would face death through starvation, cold or monster.

After several commotions and minutes they were finally able to enter the smith's harvest room. The complex, large construction of iron and stone implanted into the opposite of the room illuminated the wide room they entered, yet unusual dim and another proof of wrongness. Several black and thick tubes that connected hot steam or air towards other parts of the building as well as towards other houses were also holding their breaths in shock instead of the humming and hissing that used to be all around. It was way off the normal that in fact the most noise came from Link and his aunt making way through the half-grown crops from either dangling from the ceiling in wide pots and extra supported by metal bars or in not varnished earth on the ground. Both adults stopped ahead of a large black iron door, decorated with thick sets of windows that usually brightened up the whole room and served as the crop's light.

Inside was terrible. Normally the magically reinforced iron would have held the enormous heat of the lava they had stored in the huge kettle and originally had been from Death Mountain itself, however the ever-hungry red heat they usually fed with wood, scraps, fresh air and occasionally water to produce hot steam for the houses had somehow been able to melt the magically protected thick iron and upon reaching the icy permanent frozen ground, the ground had cracked open from violent heat differences and had caused the minor earthquake. It was evident that most of the spilled lava had swept into the wide cracks and had lost most of its original heat. Almost everything of the lava had turned black until now. It was amazing seeing that even hot lava were loosing to the freezing cold.

"Link, collect every remaining useable heat clumps and evacuate to the 'New-grounds'!" his aunt instructed with a stony frown. He simply nodded. "I have the feeling I know who did this mess…" her voice dropped another few inch and reached a deadly ice now.

Link made sure to hurry away as fast as possible from the frightening stare reserved for an especially unlucky apprentice. As he found the purpose-built and magically enhanced overalls neatly hung onto a clothes rack, he winced. Sure, he had experience in the job of a fire-caretaker, however the last time he had been in the fire room had been about two years away – his clothes were too small! In a time like that!

He felt sweat dropping down his skin since it still was hot inside with the addition of the adrenalin rush and stress. And then he caught sight of a fitting version of the one-part-clothes he absolutely needed on for safety entering the heat room. It… was a woman's set of clothes, namely his aunt's. Although they didn't vary much from the male's version, it made him blush a bit as he had to slip in it, out of other options.

But as long as they served their purpose…

Hurrying inside the enormous black and damaged kettle, Link now wore the black overall accomplished with a heavy set of thick iron and leather boots and grey glossy big gloves, both magically enchanted to withstand the heat to a bearable amount. He had placed most of his blond hair included his ponytail under a stiff cap and also shouldered some strong leather bags especially designed for transporting lava as well as a shovel.

Equipped like that, he began searching for surviving flecks of red lava in the frozen sea of black and grey. While shoving the found specks into the held bags, he overheard the angry conversation between his aunt and the new apprentice echoing within the kettle, only that it sounded more like a shouting monologue and whining pleas in respond.

Of course Link felt pity with the youth, nonetheless the damage was done and had to be patched up. Punishment came afterwards. In fact, Link knew they still possessed the potential to undergo the crisis without failing and having to leave the village – at least not all, one strong warrior should do fine. However, if his scheme was to be accepted – and there really was no time to develop a better one – it would need a warrior experienced with lava fire. And that would kick out everyone except his aunt, his now dead uncle, the currently scolded apprentice or himself.

Unfortunately, Link was only able to fill three bags of the bright heat that hadn't lost most of their power till now and currently was heaving the last one on his back towards the entitled 'new-grounds', a newer and smaller kettle they had built up until now to provide even more heat. It was still unfinished, but could keep the fire warm and protected with a little help. He closed the big iron door with a stomp that caught his furious aunt's attention and reached him while yanking a lanky young boy in one of the black overalls on his screaming and apologizing ear behind. "Go! At least lade the bag from Link and take it to the new kettle!"

She still was visible angry after the poor boy had almost collapsing under the weight of the bag Link transferred to him, finally stumbling out the door and sight. "Oh, how often have I told him not to disturb the reinforcement gem with the heat-restraining protection?! – How much damage?" she turned serious to the sweating and exhausted blond. "The lava has made its way through the bottom and caused the earthquake. I suppose the house is on unstable grounds now. And most of the lava is swallowed up and cold, I was only able to save three bags." "Darn…and that of any time the worst…" He picked up her stern look as well.

"We still can fix this. All I need to do is to get fresh hot lava to heat the new smith fire enough again." She glanced at him, crossing her arms. "But – you don't really want to do that, do you? I need your help here." "But the other villagers don't know which specific type of lava is needed and where to get access of it." She arched a brow at that. "And you only know of it because we were telling it." Now Link crossed his arms as well. "Your fault you weren't taking me with you when you brought new one. But you've told me anything important already I guess. I just need to catch enough supplies, it won't be that hard." She nodded in thought and soon handed him several magical amplified leather bags for transportation.

It was several minutes after Link left the smith for preparations for his journey when she finally noticed he had been wearing… her female uniform… Stunned she chuckled and took off. That boy…!

So, Link did his best to avoid the other panicked and busy villagers. If they knew one of the good fighters and one of the few with experience of the smith maintenance left their refugee hide for an unknown return, they surely would panic more – and he was certain his father wouldn't allow him to leave, although it was very important. So, asking anyone for aiding companionship and aid was out of question. And that ultimately sucked in a dangerous landscape filled with white fluff.

At least he could take some weapons along – he's never been outside the village much and definitely not on Death Mountain before. Bow and sword should do fine, he guessed. However before taking care of that thing, he had to get himself ready for a longer journey. So his aiming point was the house of him what luckily seemed to have withstood the earlier earthquake and stood next to the yak barn. He quickly doffed his smith overall, bundled it and packed it into a bag.

Putting on his brown, thick travel trousers over his thick and black normal ones, he removed his belt and the orange cloth around it that made him recognizable as the one in charge for the yaks since he didn't think a sign like that would help him fending off cold too much. So instead he slipped his green travel shirt on his normal white and blue patched one, the one that his uncle had given him two years earlier and in which he finally seemed to have grown into. Next he changed his boots in favour of fluffy, warmer ones as well as a warm set of leather-coated gloves over his green casual gauntlets, some bottles, a red scarf and his long white furry yakskin coat. Last but not least he plopped his long, warm-coated green, long and slender hat on his head. So, next were food and water provisions and defence material…

He froze in shock as he heard footsteps. Heavy footsteps.

He didn't want to be discovered readying himself for a journey, it only would take more time to explain his goal to many people – and he had not much of it to begin with. He hid himself in the room just as he heard a booming angry voice.

"LIIIINK! MORON, COME OUT AT ONCE! WE NEED YOUR HELP! LIINK!"

He winced in his hidden hide. Of all the possibilities, it had to be his dad. His angry moron of father. He heard heavy footsteps creeping up from the yak barn into the house, screaming to find him, and eventually landing in the room. He ducked lower.

"LIIINK!?"

He felt his heart beat against his crouched chest nervously. Then there was mumbled swearing and in his luck the strong old soldier decided against further investigation.

Several minutes after his father had left the house shouting like a madman, Link finally was able to draw a deep breath and continue packing, now more careful than ever. Feeling slightly uncomfortable for dumping his own father, he attached the sword's belt over his shoulder as well as a quiver, the old sword his father had gave him, the blue one with some red, grey and yellow markings his father had called to be the insignia of Hyrule, and a bow as well. His next point was to pack his beloved yak Epona in the barn next to the house with the provisions he found and had stored in his home, therefore wood, his fire-enchanted working set, food, bandaging material, travel rug, tinderbox, knife and other minor stuff.

Nodding to himself, he took Epona's bridles and, with many wary, cautious gleams, left his home. It seemed luck was favouring him a bit since he was able to sneak towards the hidden graveyard with his yak behind and nobody exclaimed his name or ran up to him in anger. In fact it seemed everyone was too busy to notice him and his animal. It was unknown to most people that behind the hidden graveyard was a third, hidden exit out of the refugee village, but since it was only to open and see from the inside, there was no need to tell everyone and put up a watch.

Just as he reached out his hand to open, he froze. Then huffed and turned.

What did all the fancy preparing help if he didn't know the directions where to? Of course, Death Mountain was easy to recognize. But that didn't count for the passages towards. And he didn't want to climb up a heavy way only to find out it was a deadlock. Definitely not.

But where from could he take advice without stopping too long? His gaze immediately fell towards the old house near the graveyard, the one of the old weird mage. In silent he entered the cramped, dark house, dragging Epona with him in the progress since he didn't want to be discovered through leaving her packed like that outside.

It would spark questions in less a second.

Once inside he felt like blind on such sudden low light that only leaked through half covered windows and was partly buried under all kind of furniture and other objects Link had only seen in the old mage's house where he and the other villagers had taken lessons of education, magic and Goddesses since the old weirdo had found their little refugee village. Odd crystallize objects, heavy and huge books, useless furniture for burning and stuffing things inside, a huge bookcase, a large carpet and much more bizarre things caught his interest as he entered the main living room. The candles were blown out and apparently the highbrow wasn't home, however from somewhere pink light seemed to brighten the cramped room enough to let some things sparkle and appear from within the chamber and let Link search his way through in hope to find a map.

He heaved some thick books around, searched and found nothing particular. Damn his luck.

At that he heard a light chinking of glass that made him stiffen in fear of a returning mage to find his mess even more messed. The odd light brightened up a few seconds until it returned to its origin intensity, but was enough for Link to catch his attention. What was that that his education teacher had that glowed pink? It couldn't be a candle for sure. Something magical it had to be. He hopped onto some shaky-looking rubbish and reached onto higher grounds of the cupboard where he suspected the light source. His fumbling stretched fingers wrapped around something cold and when he withdrew his arm with the object in question, his face changed into one of heavy surprise.

He really held a bottle. Nothing very special about bottles, however the insides were astonishing. Pink light emitted from his hands as he held it astonished in both hands and the whole light, although dim, covered the whole creature save for the four transparent, tender and light dragonfly wings.

He really couldn't believe the old mage had captured a fairy. Fairies were said to be extinct or at least didn't leave the forest – whatever forest was since he never had seen one in real life, only in tales. But that was beside the point and he knew that, but he kept imaging forests and fairies flittering through the whole time since he had left the village behind in the snow. And yeah, he was only borrowing the fairy that now dangled next to the other bottles on his proud belt, he didn't steal it form the had heard fairies were good in healing and since they were able to fly, it would come in handy for replacing the map he didn't find.

Hopefully he wouldn't have to encounter any problems or monster that roamed these lands… but if he would, he would make them tremble away from his sword.

Definitely.

If he ever was attacked, he would show his father some presents of them when he returned and that would make the old moron realize he was an adult and not a child he had to overprotect.

He hummed a little tune and definitely was not prepared to suddenly hear clanging. Confused like he was, he looked down towards the source of noise, seeing the little pink brighter shining orb flitter up and down quite agitated, knocking on the glass whenever it moved. The blond unhooked the bottled bottle from his brown belt and held it next to his face, his blue eyes filled with curiosity and amazement. The pink fairy angrily flittered against the glass without stop, shouting to the boy from her muffled prison. All of the sudden, she congealed in her rampage, looking backwards and quite in contrast to her earlier outburst. Not understanding a thing, Link casually glanced back if anything interesting had caught the little light flabbergasted -

and froze as well.

Dead in his tracks, around fife metres behind him and Epona and partly hidden from cowering low a boy froze as well.

Or at least, he looked like one the first glance.

The second glance however Link came to notice the rather skull-like mask with various feathers sticking out on top that strongly reminded him of the ancient tales of a forest monster that was said to once be a lost boy.

It was also when Link noticed the monster Bulblin further behind readying his bow.

Before he was about to warn the other boy of the danger, the masked counterpart shot out of shock, letting loose a quite inhuman roar with sharp teeth and dashed towards Link while drawing his sword. The blond however was quick enough to draw and block the incoming swordmonster. Epona mooed in fright and shock since the boy had rushed past her and trotted a bit afar of the upcoming battle ground.

"What the…?!" Link exclaimed, however was kept shut with a quick series of random sword attacks from his fast opponent. He was sure the other boy didn't seem to be a rather fine sword fighter since he was able to block all the hits that were served despite the quickness they were delivered.

The incoming arrow that he was only able to avoid through putting up his shield was more of a danger. His right hand vibrated slightly as well as his left, both by defending from different opponents. Another approaching arrow was barely avoided through stepping back, what only resumed in the shorter ranged fighter to close up again.

Link knew this would result into a hit on the long range since it was two against one, but he wasn't able to put the masked monster grinning in front of him on the defensive with the permanent interruption of the other monster's arrows. In a fair and square swordfight perhaps.

Just that second he heard another hiss of a nearing arrow, but this time he wasn't able to block it since the monster on the boar had snuck around him from safe distance and had shot his back.

Pain exploded in his right calf and he visibly grimaced.

His vision blurred of his scrunched eyes, but he returned the favour to his toothy grinning opponent by suddenly lunging out and forward and whipping the sword out of the surprised other's hand.

The first second his enemy stood there, gobsmacked and unarmed, the next few second later he was receiving a furious, hard kick in the side that distracted him from his leg's wound to his now sore left side.

He tumbled, gasping and barely able to regain his stance with some unstable steps. He heard a pleased, monstrous snarl of victory and, before he could block it, was kicked again in his side, tripped, fell over and hit hard rock ground with only bits of snow and warmer than the rest.

Now his whole body exploded in pain and he clenched his teeth in soreness, out of breath from the kick. If he had hit normal snow, he probably would have been up his feet in no time. Minus the arrow in his right leg and sore gut. However, being kicked onto hard, sharp-edged rock wasn't helping it at all.

Seconds later he saw and heard the humane monster growling and towering confidently over him.

That wasn't gonna be the end! He had to bring the new fire to his fellow comrades! Help them rebuilding the village!

… and perhaps if the snow ever melted away help the country bloom again… that would be nice…

He tried to push himself up on his knees, not letting his pain take over his mind.

Just then what he didn't expect was that something under his right side to stir and, with a singing high cry, a pink fairy to shoot up like a bright rocket, screaming a high-pitched and very loud shout.

"HEEEEEY!"


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Oh, she was so out of it!

Just as she finally accepted the fate that she would stay imprisoned in this vile transparent prison on the shelf the rest of her pity excuse of life, she woke up to suddenly find her on the waist of another evil human.

Though it was nice being outside for years after all that time, she hadn't expected to see white, white, white and white. No plants, no trees, just snow and occasionally rocks.

Oh, how she hated that. She always hated the snow even when she still lived in the forest. Vile, vile, vile.

And then she had felt the black presence behind and actually went down her pride so low to actually help the sucker noticing his lurking problem. Trustworthy naivety.

And then the boy just had to decide to hook her up on his girdle instead of letting her drop on accident and escape. The whole fight had made her incredibly dizzy since the sword clanging made the bottle wobble violently and knocking her from one side to another.

But she had to admit she was shocked as well to find the boy being shot in the leg by that arrow. Immediately her cursed healing instincts screamed on her to help the poor boy, but since she was bottled, she couldn't even if she wanted. And besides, she already hated the boy for shaking her several times, making her head and several other body parts burn from pain. On the other hand, if the monster boy found her and decided to eat her, she was better of with the hylian.

And then the boy was tripped forcefully and by crashing down onto rock, accidently crashed her prison as well.

That got her stunned for a while. Had he? Really?

As soon as that thought dawned on her, she noticed the boy move.

Nonono. She was out, so no more!

Screaming her wrath and happiness, she propelled herself from the ground into the air.

Oh, how long had it been since she last felt the sensation of wind ruffling through her wings? The fine warm feeling of freedom and pride filled her little body…

until she shrieked and barely was able to dodge an incoming hand.

The skull-mask boy looked at her in absolute fascination and excitement. And that was one of the looks she absolutely feared most.

Screaming, she tried to flutter away like a maniac from the yet again catching hands.

However after flying a few metres, her lungs felt like they kinda exploded. Yet she kept flying, avoiding the following monster and accidently drawing a flight circle in progress with the carefree masked boy deadly behind and back towards the start.

She cursed. Her wings were in such pain after not flying properly for years! They felt like they came off! And then, dark and warm fingers enclosed her completely, covering the cold blue daylight. It was over…

And then she found herself flopping facedown onto the bottom of another bottle, again.

"You dare to touch my fairy and you're dead, monster" came an ice-dead voice.

Wait, she was inside a bottle and still could hear the outside? She proper flopped herself up, still wheezing like crazy.

The monsterboy stood in front of her – and she noticed she was inside an open bottle dangling from the green hylian's belt.

The monster boy chuckled amused although the hylian boy had his sword pointing right at his neck and shooting death stares. The monster turned its head careless, smirking at her green saviour with loads of sharp, pointy teeth and then exclaimed:

"Then, we're doing a tournament over it and the first winner gets the fairy and the second winner gets noothin!"

And that caught both fairy and hylian boy off guard.


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Ben took the cool opportunity to dash a few feet away and avoid the sharp sword before it could make him any harm. Next he jumped over to his fallen sword and, while picking it up in delight, called:

"Oi, Bucky, no arrows whiltis, yea? No cheating I say!"

He also addressed the still bewildered boy. "Y-you can talk?! I thought you were a monster, sorry!" the boy yelped and Ben crossed his arms while playing pouty although he really didn't feel any offended at all.

"Whatcha yappering about, human? I'm definitely monster, no kiddin!" he stated proudly, knocking his chest with the fist once. He knew some mistook him first glance as a human, so he was used to it.

His opponent however still needed some beating in the hand to register the message, it seemed. Therefore he began tossing his little sword between his hands while slowly approaching the tournament enemy.

Left, right, left, right, left, right. "So, only rule is only sword, and prize is fairy, okay?" he repeated eagerly. The other blond frowned while holding his side and readying towards a broad stance that favoured his still healthy leg.

"No."

"Okay! Then start!"

And with that, he tossed his sword.

Link was barely able to yelp and block it with his shield, a clattering as the fallen sword hit the snowy ground the human had moved to.

"Hey, only sword you said! And I said no!" the human exclaimed in indignation.

Ben only responded with a grinning dash, then purposely slipped before him, gripped the fallen sword and lashed out from the bottom, but to his displeasure the other avoided it by stepping back and blocking with the shield. Therefore Ben hopped up and created a small space and again began tossing the sword between his hands.

"Hey, Imnod complaining myself thadya use yourshield along the way. It kinda violates every rule, even sinzits only one, yanaw?" He huffed after that and the obvious confused look on his green opponent and earned a baffled "What?", but didn't care for further explanation.

His main focus was on the next set of attacks. The green human brought up his shield, probably expecting another toss.

He could take advantage of the human's injured leg, now couldn't he?

Deciding his move, he grasped the flipping hilt and ran rounding onto Link's back and then attack him, hopefully most unexpected. Yet the greeny was able to repel his attack and start his own serves even though he sure was grimacing in pain while following Ben on his half guessed the pain fuelled his desire to win.

Luckily the previous hit on the rock and the arrow wound did their thing to slow the green-clothed human on inching on Ben fast enough, so he made sure to flip and avoid being grazed by the other's whirling iron.

In a fair and square spar known between proud human warriors, Ben sure would have lost after short time because of loss of sword or lack of defence. However, since Ben neither knew of this customary nor cared about it in fact, even if he was told.

It was evidently not working as smoothly as he wanted without the arrow distraction. The most time he and greeny sparred and blocked each other's blows with the human being stronger and more experienced – and handicapped by his wounds for Ben's he slowly noticed getting more and more exhausted and he knew greeny felt same way since he had sweat beads forming on his forehead as well.

Ah, how he craved for the pink blob of light! Gamesh had often told in his fairy tales that fairies were one of the yummiest and purest things to eat. By the way, why did old Gamesh call his stories 'Fairy tales'?

Did these taste good as well?

His blue eyes widened in surprise as he snapped back to concentration, almost avoiding the incoming slash. Almost.

He hopped back, fixing his now cut clothes and created some space to examine. Reddish-purplish blood poured out slowly, hissing under meeting contact with air and partly puffing up in violet smoke.

It should dry up pretty soon. Nothing too serious.

He smacked his face, surprising the other blond boy as well as Shin, who currently had transformed his torso into the skull mask and had seized himself on his forehead. The spider monster only grumbled angrily.

Why hadn't he thought of that earlier?! Fairy tales were mind food!

Like humour, just longer – and with more colours! And he wanted that fairy! Perhaps the pinky could tell him some fairy tales before he ate her?

Now he really craved for her much more!

Two simple sword tosses in thought and he had his idea.

Rounding on the hylian he dashed forward while the boy brought up his shield for cover.

What the blond didn't see coming was that Ben suddenly stuck his sword into the ground two wide steps ahead of him, grapping the iron with both arms and thrusting himself feet-forward and full force right into the exposed shield. So much force and the boy loosing his weakened footage made him stumble and crash down backwards with Ben as additional weight on top.

Eying his chance, Ben suddenly heaved the blue shield away and punched the boy's gut.

As soon as he withdrew his fist, he snatched the bottle tangling from the panting teen's waist, hopped up and rushed away from the momentary stunned and gasping boy towards his fellow minions who scared the yak from running away with the provisions.

"Buck, getta goin! We've waisted enagtim!" His baffled companion galloped after him on his boar, shaking his head and leaving a rather breathless and dazed hylian boy on the ground and his quite panicked animal.



So much for having a snack...