"How long is this gonna take?" Conan whined for the third time.

Link sighed. "We've only been riding for three hours. Stop complaining."

"But I'm so bored. The least the forest could do is offer some better scenery then the same old rows of green trees. It's just like back at home, except more claustrophobic." Conan said, looking around.

Mira had to some what agree with Conan. This journey was supposed to be exciting and show them all sorts of new things. So far the path ahead was dull, with the same continual line of trees on either side. They hadn't even seen any animals.

She wouldn't complain though. She was positive it would get more interesting eventually. Plus, it had only been three hours. They still had a long journey ahead.

Mira yawned, opening her mouth wide and closing her eyes. The sun set around nine, so it must be around midnight.

Link glanced over at her. "We should take turns resting. Two people can stay out, one to drive and the other to guard."

"Guard from what?" Conan asked sarcastically. "There hasn't been a single threat so far. Not even one creature."

"The person not driving can also keep the driver company. If they stay talking they're less likely to fall asleep." Mira suggested.

Link nodded in agreement. "I'm sure we've all had exhausting days. I'm willing to stay up for a few more hours and continue driving though."

"I'll stay up too. I used to pull late nights like this with Lana and Gemma all the time. It should be easy." Mira said with a small smile at the thought of her friends.

"I'm glad you guys volunteered, because I am absolutely tuckered out. You don't even want to know how many times Janet and I had goodbye sex." Conan said cockily. He held up his hand to Link for a high five.

Link gave him a small shake of his head. Conan put his hand down. "See you guys in a few hours then." He climbed into the back of the wagon to make himself some sort of bed.

"How noble of him." Mira muttered rolling her eyes.

"I'm not sure what everyone sees in him, if we're being honest." Link whispered back.

"I feel the same way. Looks don't get you everywhere in life. I do have to admit that he has pretty good sword skills though." She sighed.

Link gasped, mockingly grabbing his heart with his hand. "You, a female resident of Chalice, doesn't like the great, almighty, handsome, Conan Redmond?"

"Hey, both hands on the reins." She said, nudging him with her shoulder.

A loud snore bursted from the back of the wagon. Mira and Link looked at each other. Quickly Mira clamped a hand over her mouth to conceal her laughter.

Link chuckled out loud. She couldn't stop laughing. They both laughed for a good few minutes to the point where tears were on the verge of pouring from Mira's eyes.

Finally she composed herself, wiping the tears with her hand.

Another loud snore erupted from the back. "He sounds just like the hogs at home." Link said chuckling slightly.

Mira listened to the next one. "He does, doesn't he?" She snickered with another giggle.

"My grandpa used to snore like that too. My grandma would always complain in the mornings. He would always say, 'Good thing you love me so much.' And she would reply, 'Lucky you.' Then they would kiss and would go on with whatever the daily chatter may be." Link said thoughtfully.

"Do you live with your grandparents?" She asked quietly.

Link nodded. "My mom passed away when I was really young. She had an illness, it was incurable. I don't remember much about her, I was so young. My dad, well he was in the Hylian Army. He died a few years ago.."

"I'm so sorry to hear that." She put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He handed it to her. She unfolded it and found it was a photograph. A young Link sat on one side of a woman in bed. It was obvious that the woman was ill, but she was still beautiful. On her other side a tall man that looked a lot like Link bent down so that he was about the woman's height. His arm was around her shoulders. A blonde baby was in the woman's arms.

"She's beautiful." Mira whispered quietly.

"I know." Link replied. His voice sounded strained with emotion.

She folded the photograph and handed it back to him. He put it back in his pocket carefully.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. "My dad was in the army too. That's why I wanted to become a Knight. It's been my dream for a long time." Mira said to break the awkwardness.

"Is he still...alive?" Link asked cautiously.

"No...unfortunately he passed a few years back." Mira answered.

"I'm sorry. I understand what that's like." Link said sincerely.

"It's alright. I still have my brother, Carter, and my mother. Plus my best friends Gemma and Lana. They're practically like family anyway." She replied with a small, but genuine smile.

She crawled into the back of the wagon and retrieved her bag. She pulled the photo out of the top and brought it back to him. She took the reins from him so he could look at it.

"I know that man." Link pointed to her father.

"My dad?" She asked.

"Yeah. On my grandma's mantle there's a picture of my dad and your father in their knight uniforms. I'm almost positive it's your dad in that picture." He explained.

"You mean our fathers knew each other?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure they were really good friends." Link looked at her.

"Wow. What a coincidence huh?" She said thoughtfully taking the photo from his hands and giving him the reins.

She put the photo back in her bag safely and put the bag in the back.

Suddenly Link pulled hard on the reins. The ox snorted, but pulled to a bumpy stop. She almost fell off her seat. "What are you doing?!"

Link just pointed ahead. A small boy wearing all green with blonde hair stood a few feet in front of him. He had a sling shot pointed at them.

"Who are you?" He asked in a high pitched voice.

Link glanced at Mira then answered, "I'm Link. This is Mira. We come from Chalice. We're on our way to Kakariko Village."

"There's another man in the back. Who is he?" The boy asked sternly.

"His name is Conan." Mira answered.

Three more kids dressed in green jumped down from the trees. They also held sling shots pointed toward them.

A girl whispered in the boys ear who had spoken. "Come with us." He said. "The Great Deku Tree is expecting you."

"The Great Deku Tree?" Mira asked.

"Come." The boy repeated. The group of kids began to walk ahead. Link shook the reins. The ox started in a slow trot, following the children.

Two of the kids held giant bushes aside revealing a small secret path. The other two kids, including the boy who had spoken, led them through.

A small village lay ahead. It was made up of many small huts. The huts were smaller than any huts she'd ever seen before.

Kids like the ones that led them here stared as they followed the main path through town. Where were their parents?

The boy held up his hand, signaling Link to stop the ox. Link climbed off the seat, ready to follow the boy inside the nearby hut. Mira looked inside the wagon. "Conan." She called out. He didn't respond. Mira grabbed his leg and shook it roughly. "Conan."

"Huh? What?" He sat up groggily. "Are we switching shifts?"

"No. We're in a village. Get up."

"We're in Kakariko already? That was fast." He sat up fully now. Yawning and stretching his arms.

"No, it's not Kakariko. Just come on." She said pulling on his arm.

He followed her out of the wagon. Link and the boy were gone. Mira walked over to the hut and opened the door. She and Conan had to bend down slightly to get inside.

The Hut had fairly tall ceilings, tall enough for her to stand at least. Link, the boy, and the girl who had whispered in his ear earlier were all seated at a small wooden table.

Two stools were available for Mira and Conan to sit at. Once they were seated, the girl offered them tea. Mira gratefully took a cup and sipped it.

She didn't recognize what kind of tea it was, but it tasted great. It made her body feel refreshed like she'd just taken a nice shower.

"I'm sure you're all wondering what you're doing here." The girl spoke.

"Yes. I would also like to know where here is exactly. I haven't seen a village like this on the map before." Link said. Mira nodded in agreement.

"This place is called the Kokiri Forest, home to the Kokiri people and The Great Deku Tree himself. It's location is only revealed to those worthy. It would seem that The Great Deku Tree has brought you here." The girl informed them.

"Why did The Great Deku Tree bring us here?" Mira asked.

"The Great Deku Tree requests your presence. I shall bring you there, now." The girl stood and headed to the door. Link was the first to stand and follow. Mira and Conan stayed closely behind.

She led them out of the hut and to the end of the main path. There they used rocks to cross a small stream and entered a narrow path in between thick hedges.

The hedges were like a maze, there were many twists and turns. The girl made each turn confidently without a moment of hesitation.

Within a few moments they walked into a large clearing. Before them towered a large tree. The girl walked back towards where they came from without a word.

"Wait!" Mira called after her, but she was gone.

"How could we not see this giant tree over the hedges or even from the village?" Conan asked.

"Magic." Link answered in a whisper. Mira gave him a strange look, but he was focused on the tree. She glanced back at Conan who just shrugged.

"Welcome, young heroes."

Mira was startled by the deep voice and quickly turned back to the tree where it seemed to have come from. Suddenly she could see a large face plain in sight on the trunk of the tree.

"You can talk?" Conan exclaimed.

"Of course I can young lad." The tree answered in his deep voice. Before Conan could get another word out, Link spoke. "Why were we brought here?"

Mira was astonished by his calm voice. It was as if he met with a talking tree on a daily basis. How could he be so serious and focused? Wasn't he the slightest bit weirded out?

"Princess Zelda is missing. Evil forces have over taken Hyrule. Dark days lay ahead for this kingdom." The Deku Tree told them.

"Yeah, yeah. We already know all this. We were on our way to find her before you interrupted." Conan grumbled in annoyance.

"Silence yourself, rude boy. It is a great surprise that you're here at all. So arrogant and selfish. You contain no heroic characteristics." The Tree replied calmly.

Conan's mouth fell wide open. He clenched his jaw and stormed off back into the hedges. Mira was about to call for him to wait, but Link grabbed her arm. She gave him a questioning look.

"Don't worry, young heroine. He'll find his way back. If you take a wrong turn in those hedges, you end up back at the beginning." The Deku Tree assured her.

"You called me a heroine?" She questioned the tree.

"Yes. You, Mira Whelan, are a true heroine. Just as you, Link Animus, are a true hero."

"What do you mean?" Link asked.

"Generations before you were born it was decided that you two would be heroes of Hyrule. It's in your blood, it's your destiny. Just as destiny has brought you here." The Great Deku Tree answered seriously.

"Can you help us with our quest?" Link now asked.

"Yes, that is why I brought you here. I have information for you two. You must never forget."

Mira and Link nodded to show that they understood.

"A long time ago a dark force threatened Hyrule. It is similar to the force that threatens Hyrule now. Princess Zelda recruited a hero, and with his help she managed to save the kingdom. This hero is known as the Hero of Time. What most people don't know about this legend, is there was another hero involved. A heroine to be exact. She was a sorceress by the name of Minara. With her help, the Hero of Time traveled into the future to destroy Ganondorf, the Gerudo King. Once he was destroyed, the two were sent back into the past where they had begun. Now they had the knowledge of what was to happen to Hyrule Kingdom. They headed back and informed Princess Zelda. The Hyrule Family was able to prevent the disaster from ever happening. Ganondorf couldn't be destroyed, but he was banished by the Seven Sages. Hyrule has been at peace for many generations now. I'm afraid, Ganondorf is returning."

"What does that have to do with us?" Mira asked. As far as she could understand, the only reason they were on this quest was because they were the best knights at Chalice's Knighthood Academy. It didn't seem to have anything to do with destiny.

"The name of the Hero of Time was Link. Link Animus, you're a descendant of the Hero of Time. It is up to you to be the next Hero of Hyrule." The Deku Tree told him.

Link looked slightly surprised, but didn't say anything.

The Deku Tree looked at Mira. "You're a descendant of the great sorceress Minara. It is your turn now to assist the new Hero of Hyrule and save us all from the impending darkness."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was a descendant of some ancient sorceress who helped save Hyrule years ago and now it was up to her and Link to save this generation? It seemed unreal.

"It is vital that you keep this information to yourselves. Not a soul must know. Even that boy that you travel with. If Ganondorf were to find out, he'd stop at nothing to make sure you two were dead. Good luck on your journey. There is one last thing you'll need, Zani will guide you there. Until we meet again." The Deku Tree's face morphed until it was gone. A regular giant tree loomed before them.

A bright, red, glowing orb flew from the back of the tree and flew in front of them. As it got closer, Mira recognized small wings and a tiny female body.

"I'm Zani, follow me." The fairy spoke. She fluttered to the entrance of the hedges. Link and Mira followed the fairy back through the maze of hedges and through town.

She led them to the outer parts of the village. Right to a cliff wall. "Touch it, with your hands. Both of you." Zani instructed them.

Link placed his left hand on the wall and Mira placed her right. Link's hand began to glow. A triangle formation formed, glowing brightly. Mira recognized it to be the triforce that was on the Royal Crest. The right triangle was glowing the brightest.

Mira glanced at her own hand and realized there was a triforce glowing on it as well. Instead of the right triangle glowing, the upside down triangle in the center that was normally empty space began to glow on hers.

A portion of the wall before them lit up in the shape of a doorway. Within a few seconds, the part that was lit up disappeared.

A long tunnel loomed before them. It was lit on either side by torches hanging on the walls. Zani flew through, Link and Mira followed close behind.

At the end of the tunnel was a large cavern. In the center was an elevated platform with a large chest on it.

"Open it." Zani urged in her very high voice.

Link and Mira walked forward. Link kneeled in front of the chest, Mira followed his actions. "One, two, three." He counted.

On three they lifted the heavy lid of the chest. Link pulled off a blanket that covered the contents of the chest. Inside were clothes.

Link pulled out the folded garments on his side and Mira grabbed the ones on hers.

"The outfit of the Hero of Time, and Minara's sorceress clothes." Zani informed them.

Link held up a green tunic with a matching green hat. As well as worn white pants, a white long sleeved under shirt, chain mail, thick brown gloves with steel plates on the back, sturdy brown boots, and a brown belt.

Mira's outfit consisted of a red skirt, with a white sleeveless shirt that connected to a long cape thing in the back, white and red gloves, white and red thigh high socks, and white shoes.

"You must wear them." Navi said.

Link and Mira glanced at each other. "We can turn opposite ways." She suggested awkwardly. Link nodded in agreement.

They both turned away from each other. Mira dressed as quickly as possible. She was nervous that Link would finish first and turn around.

Once she finished, she was surprised to find that the outfit fit her perfectly. Even the shoes were just the right size.

"Ready?" Link asked from behind her.

"Yep." She replied. They both turned around and looked each other over.

"You look great." Link breathed. His cheeks immediately turned pink. "I-I mean that outfit suits you well. It's like you were born to wear it."

Mira blushed slightly. "Same to you."

"You both look just like your ancestors! Now we must go to Sacred Grove and retrieve The Master Sword." Zani told them.

"Where is this Sacred Grove?" Link asked the fairy.

"I'll lead you there, come. We must get your things now." Zani said fluttering back through the tunnel.

Mira and Link followed, carrying the clothes they were wearing before.

They arrived back at the wagon and ox where Conan was waiting. As soon as he saw Link he burst out laughing.

"What's with the green gettup? Is that what that old crazy tree had to talk to you about?" Conan shouted between laughter.

"Shut up, Conan." Mira said sharply.

Conan stopped laughing. "Oh c'mon. You gotta admit that hat is a little ridiculous. Hey, on the bright side, your outfit is kinda sexy." Conan said with a wink.

Mira rolled her eyes.

"Let's get going." Link said hopping into the front seat.

"Wait!" The girl from earlier called running out from her hut. "It's too dangerous to head out at night. You should sleep here until morning. You all seem exhausted."

"She's probably right." Mira said with a yawn. In all the excitement she forgot about how tired she was. It must be at least three in the morning.

Link nodded. "Alright."

The girl led them to three separate houses where there were available beds. As soon as Mira climbed into hers, she fell fast asleep.