A Note from the Author: Of all things, this was actually the first chapter I finished; or at least, everything after the first break. I added everything before the first break today. Because of the time difference, there might be a few inconsistancies between the two, but whatever the case the part after the first break is the accurate one.

But anyway, here we are, the final chapter. Enjoy the dragon duet.

Zelda stuff (c) Nintendo
Original stuff (c) Me

Part III ~ The Dragon

The Fire Temple itself was just like I might have pictured had I known it was underground: it was a gigantic, subterranean prison complex, made out of red bricks and heat-resistant black iron. The entry room was full of Goron totem poles, depicting a ferocious entity that I could only guess were more warnings that Volvagia was kept there. The brick walls were painted with murals depicting a Goron hero battling a fiery dragon weilding only a hammer. In some of them, the dragon was winning, in others, the Goron; but in all of them, there was always a sign of hope that the Goron would prevail. I quickly realized the significance now of those murals. History had begun to repeat itself, and I was caught up in this horrible tale. Would that be me next, clashing with the dragon that spilled so much blood?

The floor was painted with a symbol resembling fire on a torch. I had seen the symbol before; it was painted above the Goron-style pillar in the Forest Temple. As I looked at the totem poles in the Fire Temple, it dawned on me that I was looking at near identical copies of that pillar. Perhaps there really was more to the temples than their outside purpose. I had never really considered it before; why was it that Ganondorf could curse an entire region by merely allowing evil to take over these temples? They appeared to be no more than special facilities--the Forest Temple proved to be little more than an art gallery, and the Fire Temple was apparently just a big prison created with the sole purpose of housing Volvagia and any other dangers to the Gorons. Speaking of prisons, I had never seen so many jail cells before entering the temple. Just peering through windows on some of the doors, I could see rows and rows of jail cells, all containing terrified Gorons pleading for their lives. It was a very disturbing sight, and with all the doors I knew I'd have to go through one of them soon. But which one?

I decided in the end to pick one by random. Instead of taking me into a room full of jails, however, it brought me into a chamber boasting a single thing: a massive door surrounded by chains and bars that were melted apart until they were utterly useless at holding the door shut. Standing before the door was none other than Darunia. Between us, a moat of magma too wide to jump.

"Darunia!" I cried, overjoyed to see that he was still alive. His eyes suggested relief at the sight of me, but his expression remained firmly dismayed.

"Brother!" I called to me, his voice deep and commanding. "Why are you here? Do you not know what lives here?"

"I know... I actually came to rescue you!"

Darunia laughed, though it was only for a brief moment. "Ha! Rescue me! I don't need to be rescued; I don't need anybody's help! It's these Gorons who need my help! If you've only come to rescue me, than I'm afraid you'll just have to turn back."

I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. To come this far, only to be mindlessly sent away by the very man I came to rescue? After all the trouble I had gone through? I couldn't leave; not now! If I left without doing anything for these Gorons, my conscience would torment me for the rest of my life! "But... Darunia," I pleaded, "isn't there anything I can do to help?"

Darunia thought things over for a moment before responding. "Actually, there is something you can do for me, Brother," he answered. "It is difficult doing too many things at once. I have come to slay Volvagia, but I have also come to free my Brothers. To slay Volvagia, I must find my ancestor's weapon, the only thing that could damage that monster. To free my Brothers, I must find and acquire many keys, or else I won't be able to open their jail cells. I cannot waste my time doing one or the other, because they are both just as important. I've been sitting here trying to figure out what to do... But perhaps you can help me? As much as I must slay Volvagia, my first and foremost duty is my people. If you would be so kind as to find a certain hammer hidden somewhere in this temple, I'll be able to free the rest of the Gorons. We can meet back here. Bring me the hammer, and I'll make sure all these Gorons get home safetly. How does that sound?"

A hammer? Did he mean the one pictured in all those murals? It sounded like a daunting task; if the Fire Temple was anywhere as expansive as the Forest Temple, that hammer could be anywhere. It would be a fool's errand; and yet, finding all those keys was even more daunting. I hated to take the easy route; but I knew something had to be done, and Darunia wasn't one to change his mind. "It's a deal," I nodded.

We talked a little more, mainly Darunia just explaining the situation a little more for me. With that, we separated. Darunia went down one road, and I the other. I could only hope that he was as battle-savvy as I was. Otherwise, there was the chance I would never see him again.

-

Well, fortunately for me the Fire Temple was nowhere near as difficult as the Forest Temple. In different circumstances I probably could have taken it nice and slow, but the scalding heat was making me easier to frustrate, and the time was ticking rapidly. The evil infesting the temple was relatively tame compared to the ghosts and skeletons of the Forest Temple; even gentler than the Dodongo's Cavern. The only living dangers that confronted me for quite some time were hostile flaming bats called Fire Keese and docile burning slugs that Navi called Torch Slugs. If the temple had anything I should worry about other than Volvagia and the pools of lava, I didn't see it for a long time.

The stressful peace didn't last forever, though. Amidst the scorching lava pools and fire-spouting totem poles, I had not one but two duels with flaming swordsmen that Navi called Flare Dancers. The way they moved around their lairs, I could see where the name came from. As it turned out, though, they were merely small, bomb-like critters that could suspend themselves in the air while surrounding themselves with fire shaped like swordsmen. My trusty hookshot and Master Sword took good care of them.

At the highest point in the entire temple, I obtained a large hammer. I wasn't sure exactly what it was for, but it was precisely what I had been scourging around for. When I found Darunia, he had mentioned a legendary hammer that had been used long ago to seal Volvagia in the temple. "Mission accomplished," I smiled, holding up the heavy tool in triumph. "That wasn't so bad." Now all I'd have to figure out was how to get back down.

The hammer turned out to be handier than I would have thought. It was wickedly powerful, and could topple over the totem poles that had so frustrated me in the past. Best of all, it gave me a nifty little shortcut. When I first met Darunia, the gap between he and I was too far to cross; my handy little hammer was able to smash the supports to a pillar, which then sunk down into the very lava pool I couldn't cross. I was back in Darunia's meeting place, and I had a way to get to him and Volvagia's door. The Goron Chieftain arrived shortly after I did.

"My people are free, Brother," he informed me, not even bothering to say hello. Darunia wasn't the friendliest person in the world, but he was dependable to the bitter end. That was why I trusted him. I could only hope he had trusted me. "Did you get the hammer?"

I nodded. Darunia crossed the room to Volvagia's door, and he and I stood before it. I held out the massive hammer. "According to my map, it was in the highest room in the entire temple."

Darunia smiled and took it from me. He held it in front of his face to inspect it. "Many thanks, Brother," he said without looking at me.

"What is it, anyway? I mean, I know it's a hammer, but it really dealt some damage to this place!"

"So, you got to try it out? This is the Megaton Hammer--named for the weight of its blows, of course. My ancestor used it in his fierce battle with Volvagia; it was the only man-made weapon that even left a dent in the beast's rock-hard armor."

"Did he really try the hammer first, or did he learn this through trial and error?"

"He used it third; we Gorons are master blacksmiths, though, so we know how to compare the strength of one thing to another. You won't find anything nearly as powerful as this hammer anywhere in Hyrule."

I stared at the hammer in awe. Was it even stronger than the Master Sword? "So you're going to use it when we fight Volvagia?"

Darunia laughed. "We? Brother, do you really think I'm going to let a scrawny guy like you challenge Volvagia? Nonsense! I am grateful for your help, but this is the job of a Goron Chieftain!" I opened my mouth to contest, but he countered before I could even speak. "Don't try to argue! You should know me by now, Brother. I'm not only the wisest of the Gorons, but I'm also the stubbornest. There is nothing you can say that will change my mind."

I couldn't believe it; again, I was turned away when I was needed the most. I was starting to wonder why I even bothered to come... That was a terrible thought, and I mentally scolded myself for thinking it. Of course I came. Darunia was my friend. And even if he didn't agree, I knew my time to shine wasn't completely over. If I was going to get anything done my way, I'd have to be just as assertive. "Well can I at least come with you?" I offered. "I can't stand the thought of just sitting out here knowing you're in danger."

The Goron was silent for a moment, and I stared at him expectantly. He looked around absently, thinking it over. Please, I begged the gods, let him say yes... Finally, Darunia glared back at me and sighed. "Alright, I think you deserve that much." He turned to the great door before us. He was as serious as ever, and though he tried his best to conceal it, I could tell he was nervous. He could have fooled anybody else, though. The sight of him standing at my side, proud and battle-hardened, was almost majestic to see. I felt glad to be able to stand with such a man. "Come, Brother Link," he said, "and watch me smite the evil that has possessed Death Mountain all these years." The powerful Goron set the hammer down and grabbed the handles of the door with both his hands. He grunted as he summoned up all his strength and strainfully pulled the massive door open.

I stared at what lay behind it. There was a great subterranean lake of magma, surely almost as big as Death Mountain's crater. A single rickety bridge was all that connected a small rocky island to where we stood. The island was covered in small craters (the kind made by falling rocks, not the kind in a volcano summit), each one full to the top with pools of magma. But the most frightening thing was the long, slender, yet certainly enormous serpent curled up on the island, sleeping. "Volvagia," Darunia whispered to me as he picked up the Megaton Hammer.

He let me step into the room first, because the door would close by itself unless Darunia held onto it. I stood on the small, bare outcrop leading to the bridge as Darunia shuffled around the side of the door and into the room. The door slowly shut behind us. I gulped; if Darunia didn't make it out alive and strong, leaving would be impossible.

"You wait here," Darunia commanded. I nodded obediently and held my ground.

"Are you sure you're up to doing this alone?" I asked quietly.

Darunia took a deep breath and stretched. "...yeah, I'm sure. The blood of many Gorons have been spilled by this dragon. I shall not allow it to shed any more. By Din's Rod, it is my responsibility as leader of the Gorons of Hyrule." Without another word, Darunia slowly crossed the bridge and onto Volvagia's island. He didn't look back.

The Goron Chieftain cleared his voice and then spoke loudly to the sleeping serpent. His powerful voice echoed off the cavern walls and roof. "Volvagia, subterranean lava dragon!" he beckoned. "You have devoured my people and slain countless others! Countless villagers in Kakariko have lost their homes and many valuables because of your fires! I, Darunia, Chieftain of Death Mountain, have come to slay you once and for all! Now, I command thee: Awaken!"

I know I keep describing Volvagia as a sort of snake, and Darunia is set on calling it a dragon, but it was really more of a combination of the two. It was incredibly long--perhaps even as long as a mile. I was surprised it could fit in the room, no matter how big it was. But it did have two pairs of small, scrawny legs, one about a quarter of a mile from its head, the other maybe a two-thirds of a mile. Volvagia had a long, sweeping mane of fire flowing out from under the jet-black armor covering its head. The rest of its body was only armored on top, and I could see its fire-red scales shimmering in the light of the magma. Its tail ended with a tuft of fire much like its mane. The head of Volvagia was a ferocious sight: two spiralling horns, one on either side of the skull, covered entirely in the black armor, with a large set of jaws not too far from them. It looked like Volvagia could bite King Dodongo's head straight off, even if he was bigger than it.

Upon hearing Darunia's command, the dragon's eyes shot open, revealing two glowing green orbs with slit black pupils; so distinct were they against the reds and blacks that I could see its eyes from where I stood leaning against the door. Its eyes searched around for a moment, briefly stopping at me, before meeting Darunia's. It seemed to be enraged that somebody could manage to get so close to it and still be alive, and Volvagia reeled back into the air and uttered an ear-piercing howl. It uncoiled itself and stood tall before Darunia. It was too long for the entire island's surface, so its lengthy body wrapped around the sides of the isle. Volvagia and Darunia eyed each other for a moment, then Volvagia reared back its head. It all happened in a flash: Volvagia sprung its head down to devour Darunia whole, Darunia stepping out of the way in the last second and smashing Volvagia's head with his hammer. From where I stood even I could hear the distinct cracking sound caused by the hammer's impact on the dragon's head. Volvagia screamed in agony and took to the air.

As it began to circle around the ceiling, I prayed to the goddesses that it wouldn't remember me. That pray didn't seem to get through, however, and the first thing Volvagia did was torch the only thing connecting Darunia to the outside world and I to him: the wooden bridge. "No!" I cried. "Darunia!"

"Fight me, you coward!" Darunia screamed to the dragon. He slammed his hammer into the island. "Fight!" Volvagia responded to his demands by spitting a column of fire at the Goron. The fire didn't miss. I searched for him in the flames, but couldn't see him...

"Link, don't worry," Navi said beside me. I hadn't even realized she had left my hat. "Gorons don't burn easily; he's probably okay."

As if to confirm her suspicions, Darunia charged out of the inferno unscathed. "You'll have to come down here to get me, girl!" At least I knew Volvagia's gender now.

The dragon continued to circle evasively around the roof of the cave, far out of Darunia's reach. Seeing how her flames didn't accomplish much, she tried a different method. As she passed through a ring of stalactites she rammed her head into them, severing their connection with the ceiling. One by one, the spear-like rocks began to plummet towards the island. "Darunia, above you!" I cried.

"Don't worry, Brother, I see them," he answered. He pulled back his hammer as the first stalactite approached, and as soon as it was in reach he sprung his arms around and whacked it on the side with the hammer. His incredible strength, the speed and direction of his swing, and the powerful force of the hammer all made what happened next possible: the stalactite changed direction and rocketted towards Volvagia. The sharp rock impaled Volvagia's side and she screamed in pain. "Gotcha!" Darunia cheered. He wasted little time in chasing down the next stalactite and launching it towards the dragon again.

Volvagia wasn't stupid, and she quickly figured out that it wasn't going to damage the Goron much from high up in the air. The serpent descended upon the island and circled around it. She quickly began to overlap herself, and as I lost sight of Darunia I became sure that the Goron was about to have a tough time finding Volvagia's lethal jaws in the spinning mass of scales. I heard a roar, followed by a different scream, surely the Goron's. "Being tricky, are we?" Darunia said afterwards, confirming to me at least that he was still alive. But despite his confidence, I was aware that there wasn't much Darunia could do. He screamed again, and again, and with every scream I grew more and more worried.

Finally the dragon spiralled up into the air and came back down, landing atop the island with ease. I finally got a view of Darunia, and it wasn't a good one. He was almost kneeling, his hammer held low and his back arching weakly. I could even see jagged lines, which I was sure were cuts. "You... You cannot defeat me!" Darunia panted. Volvagia took no notice, and reared up. She slammed her front claws onto Darunia, pinning him down. Her final blow would soon follow.

"Darunia!" I screamed.

"Link, you have to do something!" Navi cried.

"Darunia, please, let us help you!" I desperately called. "You'll die if we don't!" Weakly, Darunia turned his head to look at us. He made a small smile and nodded. With his free hand he made a fist and pounded the ground as hard as he could. The room rumbled briefly, and a second island rose from the magma lake, connecting us once again. "Don't worry, I'm coming!"

I charged across the new island as fast as my feet would carry me, holding my sword out high over my head. "Volvagia," I screamed, "you're going to pay for hurting my Brother!" Before the dragon could react, I thrusted my sword into the side of Volvagia's leg. It didn't cause any serious damage, but I don't think Darunia's ancestor tried to attack the leg. My sword managed to puncture Volvagia's hide, which was enough to make Volvagia reel in surprise, releasing Darunia.

Darunia scrambled to his feet. "Thank you, Brother," he said, giving me a warm smile despite the circumstances. "It seems that we shall have to work together to defeat this evil dragon. I am glad that you came to save me."

"No problem," I replied, eyeing Darunia carefully in case he was severely injured. Fortunately, he looked okay enough to keep fighting.

With that, we turned our attention back to Volvagia, Darunia with his Megaton Hammer, and I with my Master Sword. Volvagia didn't know what to make of this new threat, but seemed sure that her previous strategy would work on me too. Just like before, she tightly circled the island, hoping to jump out at us and catch us by surprise. "Brother," Darunia cautioned, "watch out! She likes to play tricks. The jaws of Volvagia may appear anywhere!"

"I'll watch your back, Brother," I nodded. "I'll let you know if I see any sign of her coming from your behind."

"Just don't forget: My hammer is still the only thing that can pierce her armor. I doubt she will leave her limbs so unprotected again."

"I'll let you know."

We stood back-to-back, watching and waiting for the subterranean lava dragon to strike. The whirling wall of red and black seemed unbreaking, featureless and without end. Yet through it I suddenly saw the gleam of her eyes. "Darunia," I called, "behind you!"

Darunia spun around with his hammer ready just in time to catch Volvagia's beastly head spring out of the vortex. Before Volvagia knew what happened, the Goron slammed the top of her head with his hammer and she collapsed onto the ground. It only lasted enough time for Darunia to smash her skull again; then in desperate defense the dragon lashed her tail at us, knocking us away. I had just enough time to see a large fracture in her armor and drops of blood trickling out of the cracks.

She roared in blind anger and shot towards one of the craters in the island. As it turned out, the pools of magma in them were more like wells; Volvagia managed to slither her entire body down one of them. Darunia and I watched intently for some sign of her returning. "This is it," the Chieftain explained. "The final showdown. Watch out, Brother; she could pop out from any of these craters, fully prepared to turn us into a crispy snack."

"Any of these craters!?"

"Any of these craters. Considering how full these pools were to begin with, though, I'm sure they'll start overflowing before she comes out... That's the only way we'll know. So keep an eye out, or we'll be hotter than a Bomb Flower!"

I nodded. "You can count on me, Brother."

We were once again back-to-back, and slowly we rotated so that each of us could get a view of the entire island. It wouldn't be long... I knew it wouldn't...

Suddenly, one of the craters began to spout magma like a geyser. "There! Hurry!" Darunia charged towards the crater. "Careful of the magma, you don't want to be burned."

I ran after him, sidestepping the puddles of molten rock that were spilled across the ground. Volvagia's head erupted from the crater with vicious rage, roaring like any dragon would when cornered. But Darunia was ready for her. The moment her head was high enough, Darunia swung his hammer. There was a loud crack, like the sound of a thick vase shattering across the floor, and the armor around Volvagia's head crumbled into large fragments strewn across the ground, stained with fresh blood. Volvagia cried in agony but wasted little time in countering. With one powerful claw she grabbed Darunia and held him high above me. The Goron was so shocked that he dropped his hammer, and his fists were useless against the mighty beast.

As the dragon reared down to finish me off first, I noticed her bare, red head. From the center of her forehead spouted a sort of black mist. "Link," Navi gasped, "your sword! The Sword of Evil's Bane! Stab her head with your sword!" My eyes widened as what she said connected. As the dragon launched her head down towards me just like she had to Darunia after waking up, I stepped to the side and thrust my Master Sword into the opening in Volvagia's forehead.

The dragon dropped Darunia instantly and began squirming and writhing around in the air. The creature exuded a sort of cry that I'd never heard before for a moment, then seemed to freeze mid-air. The fire at the end of her tail began to creep up along her body, and before I knew it she had burst into flames. In mere seconds, all that was left was her skeleton, which plummeted into the lake of magma around us, melting at contact.

I stared at where it fell in awe, until a sound behind me brought my attention back to Darunia. His fall had knocked him unconscious, but it seemed he was returning to reality. I ran to his side. "Oh, my head..." Darunia moaned. "Is... Is it over?"

I nodded, tears almost trickling from my eyes in joy. "Yes, Brother, it's over."

"What happened to Volvagia?"

"The fire on her tail consumed her until she was reduced to a skeleton. Her bones dissolved when they made contact with the magma in the lake."

Darunia smiled such a big grin that I didn't think it was possible to ever imitate. With a whisper, he joyfully told me, "Then at last, it is finally over." His head began to nod, and he lost his consciousness once more. I sat by his side as he lay on the smoldering rock. A strange thing began to happen. The magma in the craters rapidly cooled into cold black rock, and the entire island seemed to drop in temperature.

"Death Mountain is finally returning to normal, I think," Navi suggested. "It's starting by returning to its normal temperature; still really hot, but I suppose not as hot."

Suddenly we heard a loud bang, and we turned our heads to see three Gorons standing in an open doorway. "Don't worry, Brothers!" one announced. "No dragon is going to kill our friends! ...oh?" The Gorons looked around. "Where is Volvagia, Brother?"

"Dead, and never to return," I smiled.

The look on the Gorons' faces was unforgettable. The happiness they experienced... I quietly promised myself that I'd bring all the people of Hyrule that same happiness one day. I just happened to look up at that moment, and I saw something beautiful. A Heart Container, drifting down from where the stalactites had dropped. It landed in the palm of my hand, and I took it gratefully. The last thing I saw before I, too, fell unconscious were the three Gorons rushing to take us home.

-

When I next woke up, I found myself in an angel-white bed, surrounded on all sides by expectant Gorons. As soon as they saw I was coming to, they let out a cheer. "Hooray for Brother!" one whooped.

"He and Big Brother saved us all!" cried another.

"What's that? Our Brother has awakened?" I knew that voice... The crowd parted to allow the Chieftain of Goron City, Darunia, room to come to my side. "Good morning, Brother," he smiled. "Welcome to a day free of bloodshed. I'd give you a Goron Hug, but it appears you still aren't in the best condition. Heart Containers can only do so much, you know. They can't cure heatstroke."

"I guess Goron Tunics aren't as good as I thought," Goron Link muttered sheepishly from the crowd. "Sorry..."

"Anyway, I'd like to give you a great thank you for purifying Death Mountain from the evil of Ganondorf. We can once again look out our cave and see crystal blue skies, swirling white clouds, and the happy village of Kakariko at our doorstep. Yet again, we Gorons have been at the brink of extinction thanks to Ganon, but against all odds you appeared once again to save us all. For that, we are eternally grateful."

"Aw, it was nothing," I blushed. "After all, Darunia, you helped."

"Ah, but there is something you have yet to know. Back there, when Volvagia dropped me... I heard a voice calling to me from the Temple of Time near Ganon's Castle. I don't know what came over me... A dream? A vision? Whatever happened, I saw not only a Hylian by the name of Rauru, but a small, green-haired girl who looked about your age seven years ago."

"Saria!" I gasped.

"Ah, so she was the creator of that song you taught me all those years ago. She's your friend?"

"Best friend," I corrected. More than that, really, but he didn't need to know.

"Well, next time you see her, be sure to remind her that I am her biggest fan." Darunia beamed at me like he had just won the Hylian Lottery. "But that's not the most interesting part of my dream. Rauru spoke to me, you see... What he said seemed to just...awaken my soul. I never knew it before, and yet it seems so right! He told me that I am the Goron sage, the Sage of Fire. He also told me that you've been searching for me for quite some time."

I rose from my pillow and sat up in the bed. "The Sage of Fire!? Congratulations, Brother! And yes, I have been searching for you. That was why I was coming to Death Mountain, in fact; at least, before the earthquake."

"Oh, I forgot to mention that. It seems that when you vanquished the evil in the Fire Temple, Hyrule decided to get its act together and mend its wounds. Next time you see Hyrule Field, you'll be pleased to know that it is back in its rightful condition. And I suppose I should add," Darunia said lowly, leaning forward, "Ganon's Castle wasn't affected by the earthquake at all."

"It figures," I sighed. "But just you wait: I am going to find the other sages and with all your help I shall destroy Ganondorf once and for all!"

"Hah, that's my Brother!" Darunia laughed, patting my back (hard, I might add). "But listen, Rauru told me to give you something." Darunia held his hand out in front of me, and in his massive palm I saw a shining red disc. "The Fire Medallion," he continued. "It is a symbol of how separated we may fall, yet how together with teamwork we may triumph any challenge that comes before us. Like a flame, cooperation gives light to the full potential in people. That's something I had to learn...from you. I think you deserve it; not only for showing me the true meaning of teamwork, but for saving my mountain."

I blushed. "Very much appreciated," I thanked, receiving the medallion and pocketing it.

"So Brother, where will you go now?" asked a Goron in the crowd.

"I've been tackling my search in order of people I helped seven years ago," I explained. "First I rescued Saria in the Forest Temple, then helped Brother in the Fire Temple... I suppose I'll be visiting Lake Hylia next for the Zoran sage. I've heard the Water Temple's over there."

Darunia frowned. "There's a small problem with that logic; you won't find any Zora in Lake Hylia."

"Why?"

"...I think you'd better ask Brother Biggoron about that. He's up at the top of Death Mountain, near the crater. Out of all of us, he's the best person to talk to if you need to know about the Zoras. He was a friend of King Zora's."

"Was?"

"As I said, talk to Biggoron. He'll fill you in on everything."

As troubling a mystery as that sounded, for the moment I gave myself a well-deserved rest. The Gorons were friendly as always, and insisted on serving me food they bought in Kakariko (Goron food--rocks--weren't my favorite). While I recovered (it only took a day, really) they gave me space, but every now and then one would drop by and thank me again for saving Death Mountain, or ask how well I was feeling, or comment on how much they loved my green homeland, or let me know that Epona had gone back safely to Lon Lon Ranch, or question if my pillow was cushiony enough, or give me a tip that the Shadow Temple, when I needed it, was somewhere in Kakariko Valley.

They were really great people, those Gorons. I would miss them when I left for wherever it was I was headed next. But just knowing they were going to be alright was enough to keep me content. And thinking about what a difference my part in the defeat of Volvagia caused, I became almost excited to work with the remaining three sages in purifying the remaining regions of Hyrule. Lake Hylia, Kakariko Valley, Zora Canyon... I didn't know where the "goddess of sand," the location of the Sage of Spirit, layed, but that would be saved for a different time. The Zoras needed my attention now.

A Note from the Author: Darunia helping you out would've been very cool if they really did it in the game. I mean, Darunia appears in the beginning of the temple, and then you never see him again until after you kill Volvagia! What's up with that? He's all like, "I need to save my people," and then never returns. So I made him more reliable in my re-interpretation.

So yeah, I know this wasn't the most emotional story...but you'll get some emotion in the upcoming sequel, "Arctic Succession."

Please don't forget to write a review before you leave! Feedback means the world to me, and I'd really appreciate it.