The research lab is something of a mess. John is the first to enter, and he makes the mistake of stepping on a piece of paper that was lying atop the welcome mat.

"Hey, watch it!" someone yells, making his face heat up in embarrassment.

"Sorry," he shrugs, being more careful where he steps this time. It's not as easy as it looks. Papers, nails, tools, and little metal pieces are strewn everywhere. As he slowly makes his way in, the others crowd around.

The person who yelled at John looks up from her desk, noticing more people have entered her abode. She has pure white hair tied into a bun, some small tools sticking through it. Somehow, her hair can hold a few screwdrivers, scissors, a math compass, and a few feathered quills. She wears brass goggles with glowing eyes that spin around. Gavin tries to look at them, but instantly gets dizzy. The woman is wearing a white, opened robe with red Sheikah lettering down the front on both sides, a white top with golden pins across the front, a navy skirt and gloves, a red sash across her waist with the Eye of the Sheikah resting on her left hip, and red tights that cover her legs and feet.

Her mouth opens with a gasp when she sees the princess enter. "Well, I wasn't expecting you to visit with so many guests," she admits. The scientist takes off her goggles to reveal her red eyes, and she takes the same colored glasses off the table. "What have you gotten yourself into this time, Princess?"

"Purah, these six individuals have traveled across time and space to help us in the coming war. The hero of Koholint, Julia, the hero of Winds, Ethan, the hero of Tracks, Gavin, the hero of Lorule, John, the hero of the Wild, Andrew, and the hero of Termina, Maria. Everyone, this is our head researcher of the Sheikah Tribe, Purah," Zelda introduces.

"Some titles," Purah compliments. "I recognize most of them." Her eyes land on Julia, Ethan, John, and Gavin. The other two she looks at with curiosity. "But, I've never heard of the wild hero, nor the one from Termina."

"It's a long story," Andrew admits. He decides to stay in character. "You're much... older in the future."

Purah's eyes widen. "So, you're one from the future?! What about you?" She turns to Maria, but the woman is frozen in her spot.

What should she say? Something impressive, but what if it comes off as too bold, or cocky? What if her voice cracks? Damn... she really needs to say something at least. Purah is looking at her! Okay, Maria, be smooth.

"I'm the one with the masks!" That was definitely not the thing to say. Purah tilts her head a bit and squints her eyes in confusion. Julia almost dies of second-hand embarrassment, while both John and Gavin are having trouble holding in their laughter. Ethan and Andrew just pinch the bridges of their noses and face-palm.

"Right," Purah says, waving the comment off. She smiles at Link. "Hey, Linky! Nice to see ya again."

Link gives a friendly wave back right before another character comes crashing into the room. He's wearing a backpack that has two, giant metal claws. There are some kind of glowing blue orbs on the side of the pack, but they don't glow from electricity. Instead, it looks as if this man was able to capture some blue fire inside of them.

"Ha ha!" the man yells. "I finally did it, Purah! Now I can reach the TOP SHELF!" He presses a button on the side of his pack and the claws come to life, pinching the air.

"And that over there is Robbie, my partner," Purah introduces.

"Come here, kid!" Robbie yells. He grabs Andrew's wrist and drags him to the back of the lab. "Don't worry, this will be perfectly safe."

Andrew opens his mouth to say something, but a scream comes out instead. Robbie makes one of his claws wrap around his ankles while the other supports one of his wrists. In one swoop, he is swept off his feet and thrown into the air. Robbie catches him with the claws, then throws him again. Andrew flips in the air a few times, and the scientist never fails to catch him.

"Uh, I think he's had enough," Maria says worriedly while the other four can't stop laughing.

Robbie catches him one last time and sets him on the ground. Andrew stumbles and almost falls over, gasping for air. Robbie grabs a notepad and lifts his goggles, asking, "How much do you weigh?"

"Uhhhhhhhhh." Andrew doesn't even comprehend the question, his eyes still spinning.

"WOOO! This thing can throw up to 170 pounds!"

"Robbie, we have urgent matters we would like to discuss with you," Zelda says gently, trying not to dismiss his excitement.

"Oh, of course. What's going on?"

"Well, we believe this little Guardian brought these heroes here from other times to aid us..." Everyone brings the researchers up to speed on what's happening. They even explain their most recent battle through the canyon, and how an actual Guardian was possessed. This deeply concerns the two, and they look at each other without saying anything else.

Finally, Impa breaks the worst of the news, "And... The Sheikah Slate you gave me to deliver broke in the Hyrule Field battle."

She presents the shards of the Slate, trickling them onto the table. Purah picks up the biggest piece with a pair of pliers. "Seven shards..." she mutters. "Wait, I think I can make something work. Robbie, remember those prototypes we were working on?"

"Right, but we paused that project because we wanted Link to try out the Sheikah Slate first," he reminds her. "That way, we could work out the kinks."

"We could upgrade those prototypes with these seven shards. Do we still have them in the back?"

"Let me check!" Robbie hops around the corner and almost instantly, a loud crashing is heard. Andrew sighs and goes to help the man who probably knocked an array of machines over.

While they're waiting, Julia pretends to lose her balance and bumps into Maria, forcing her friend to fall onto Purah. Maria flinches and her face turns red. "Ah, I'm sorry!"

"It's quite alright, dear! This table is crowded." She waves it off and tries to make her feel more comfortable by putting an arm around her shoulders, and using her and an armrest.

"Okay, I have some bad news," Robbie admits.

Andrew rounds the corner, holding his arm as if he twisted it. "The prototypes aren't back there."

"Ah, we must have left them in Kakariko Village." Still with an arm around Maria, Purah grabs a map out of her drawer and unrolls it across the table. "It's quite the journey, so why don't we go in the morning? You've all had quite the day."

"I agree that a rest is in order," Zelda says.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Gavin groans. "All of this traveling is making my legs numb."

"That's why you don't skip leg day," John mutters in a teasing manner, and Gavin makes a face at him.

All of them help setting up places to sleep. Although it might not be the most comfortable, at least there's room for everyone. Purah gives her bed to Zelda and Robbie's to Link. The unawakened hero hangs up his royal guard's hat and takes his boots off.

After inquiring about the food they have plenty of, Julia decides to quickly make ramen for everyone. It's the best meal she can think of, and it can feed a ton of people. She begins cooking when it starts to get dark, so Zelda decides to keep her company outside.

"Is there anything you need help with?" the princess asks.

"Sure, you can be my taste-tester," she replies.

Zelda happily sits down, watching the other woman cook. She has a lot going on; three pans of veggies, one other with a ton of meat, a boiling pot of water, and another pot of water with a ton of eggs in it. The princess twiddles her thumbs and asks nervously, "Could you explain what you're doing? I've never really... made food before."

"Oh, well," Julia gestures to her three pans, "I'm sautéing spinach, scallions, endura carrots, and stamella shrooms in some oil so they get nice and soft. I'm also grating this rock salt to sprinkle on top of the veggies while they cook. Here I have cucco meat from the pen in the back. That pot is boiling for when I'm ready to put the noodles in, but I have to let the eggs finish first."

"This is so much food!"

She laughs. "We have a lot of people, and all of us need to regain energy. That's why I settled for the stamina-related vegetables."

"I think it's amazing how much food you can prepare just from things you find across the land," Zelda replies sweetly.

Inside the laboratory, John sits on top of the main table with the little Guardian in his lap. He notices that one of its legs is having trouble rotating, so he takes what looks to be a screwdriver and tries to adjust it.

"You seem to be very acquainted with machinery," Robbie says.

"Eh, not entirely. I'm mostly winging it," he admits. "Do you have any oil around here?"

"In the back. Let me go and fetch it for you!"

Once the scientist leaves, both Gavin and Ethan walk over to see what's happening. "Alright, we have everyone set up for the night. Dang, this is going to be rough," Gavin groans. He isn't looking forward to sleeping on the floor with everyone, but it's better than nothing.

Ethan smirks. "Hey, you'll be out like a light. After that battle, I could sleep standing up."

"Tell me about it," John says. He takes a break from messing with the Guardian's leg and looks at his wrist. This is the first time he actually gets to look at his new bracelet. It has a purple gem on it, which seems to be filled with some kind of liquid. It looks to be made of some kind of gold or brass, the sides decorated with swirls. "That was the strangest feeling."

"When we get back to the castle, you should practice merging into walls," Ethan suggests.

The youngest of the trio nods. "Can't have you freezing up in battle if your bracelet doesn't work."

"Tch. I'd be the last one of us to freeze up in battle." John continues to look at the jewelry, another question irritating his mind. "I wonder how I just stumbled upon it. I mean, it was just lying there in the dirt."

"Maybe the goddess put it there," Ethan says with a shrug, not really believing what he's saying.

"Goddess?" Gavin asks.

Ethan raises his eyebrows, and takes a minute before nodding. "Yeah, so you know the Triforce?" He reminds him of the story that talks about Zelda's lore. The three goddesses who make up the power of the Triforce: Din, goddess of power, Nayru, goddess of wisdom, and Farore, goddess of courage. In nearly every game, Link holds the Triforce of courage to save the land from Ganondorf, who holds the Triforce of power. Zelda is always the holder of the Triforce of wisdom. However, in this current case, none of the Triforces have been unlocked yet. He also explains that Zelda is the human form of the goddess of time, Hylia. It's a lot of information, but Gavin seems to retain it quite well.

In the middle of the story, John goes back to trying to fix the Guardian's leg, as Robbie comes back with the oil. Andrew also passes by, but heads into one of the back rooms. He sits against a dresser, letting out a tired breath.

Link's light blue eyes slowly open when he hears the noise, instincts kicking in. He props himself up on the bed with his elbows and looks to the side where he finds Andrew resting his eyes. His face heats up slightly, remembering the last time he was alone in a room with this man. That was so embarrassing, and I'm supposed to be the Prince of Hyrule...

Link thinks about Zelda who will be sleeping in the room next to him. When he was very young, his mother passed away and the royal family took him in as their child. His parents were very close to the royal family, and the king adopted him as his own son. The kingdom was skeptical at first, but as he grew, they became very fond of him. Everyone began to see him as Zelda's brother, the Prince of Hyrule, almost completely forgetting he was adopted. But, he won't ever forget. Zelda's royal blood is pure, and his was just assigned. He can't even keep his cool around heroic strangers who show up on his doorstep. Some prince. Link takes a deep breath to relieve his anxiety, but the noise startles Andrew.

"Oh, sorry, I honestly didn't notice you were in here," the brunette apologizes. "I'll leave you alone. Sorry if I woke you from your nap-"

Link scrambles to stand, kicking the blankets off of him, and holds his hands out while shaking his head. He tries to indicate that he doesn't want the boy to leave.

"No, it's cool," Andrew insists, reaching for the door.

Link panics, and in an impulse he grabs his wrist. Instantly, he kneels and presses the back of Andrew's hand onto his forehead. With his free hand, he makes a fist and gently taps his chest with it.

"Uhhh..." Andrew is completely at a loss for words at first, but then it clicks. "Oh, are you apologizing for what happened before?"

He looks up and nods eagerly.

"I see! Don't worry about it, Link. I'm honestly completely over it," he lies. Andrew still gets pretty flustered whenever he thinks back on that event.

But, Link is happy to hear that. He stands up, smiling, but then notices a nasty bruise on his friend's arm. He presses a palm against Andrew's forehead, and gestures to his eyes.

"Yeah, I am a little tired. But, don't worry-" He is caught off guard when Link pulls him over and taps the side of the bed. "It's okay, I have a pile of blankets I set up for myself."

Link is taking none of that, and urges him to lie down. Andrew sighs, but doesn't realize how much he needed to feel a soft mattress under his body until his head hits the pillow. He almost instantly falls asleep, Link sitting on the floor with his back pressed against the bed frame. His eyes droop, and he also dozes off.

Maria sits down in one of the back rooms where most of the supplies are stored. She leans over a table, looking at the map of the area and recalling the previous battle in her head. I can't believe I let my brothers fall behind and take on the army. At least they're okay, she reminds herself.

"You seem exhausted." The presence of the new voice startles Maria to the point where she jumps in her spot. Purah laughs and places a pen behind her ear. "Come on, I think you should spend some time away from your work."

Maria laughs nervously. "Says the one who is always hunched over her projects."

"Funny, we just met and somehow, you know me so well."

"I... well... I just assumed-"

"I'm just teasing ya, stop stressing! Goddesses, you really must be tired. Come on." Without room for rejection, Purah grabs her arm and leads her outside.

The sun is setting, and it's beautiful seeing it from on top of the hill. Purah sits down and pulls her down next to her. "I was always fond of the hour of twilight."

The sentence makes Maria's eyes widen, and she turns her gaze to the scientist. "I agree," she says softly. "There is a strange sadness to it, but I find it more peaceful than anything."

"Well, that may be because they say it's the only time our world intersects with theirs. When you can feel the lingering regrets of the spirits who have left this world," she responds truthfully. "But, that's just what people say."

Maria is at a temporary loss for words. She looks back at the horizon, the wind swaying her hair so much that it brushes against Purah's face. The Sheikah smiles slightly and adjusts herself so she is sitting far closer to Maria, making their shoulders touch. That way, her hair blows behind Purah instead of in her face. Maria's heart races, but she makes sure not to jump away from the contact this time. She was right, she really did need to get away from inside where the maps and journey plans were. It was all getting so overwhelming and claustrophobic in there, and she feels better being outside with the cool wind on her skin. Her eyes get suddenly heavy, and she involuntarily lets her head fall onto Purah's shoulder. "Thanks..." she mutters before drifting off.

Instantly, Maria is woken by Impa's loud voice yelling for them. "Everyone! The princess and Julia have finished dinner!"

All of the heroes and scientists make their way outside to the front of the building. Ethan arranges some logs with the help of Andrew, John, and Gavin so that everyone can sit in a circle. Once they're all in place, Zelda eagerly gives everyone a bowl of ramen and eating utensils as Julia pours the contents from the pot. When Julia fills her own bowl and sits next to the princess, Zelda yells, "Okay, everyone, dig in!"

Gavin and John make everyone laugh and keep them entertained throughout dinner by recalling events from the last battle. They also decide to light a fire, as it quickly gets dark out. The others mostly eat their soup, which Julia gets a lot of compliments for.

"I've never had ramen in my life, and this is delicious," Ethan admits.

"Awe, thanks! It was a little hard substituting certain things for the type of food this Hyrule has, but Zelda helped me out a lot."

"And, most of the vegetables are cooked with stamina in mind," Zelda points out excitedly.

"No way, that's why I feel so energized!" Impa says, shocked. "Well done, Princess!"

Link nods, inhaling his food in a few gulps. Purah gives everyone something to drink as well, and the night lasts a little longer than everyone anticipated.

At one point, Gavin stands up and skips around the fire, creating big shadows with his arms. The flames dance behind him as he says in a dramatic voice, "And, in the blink of an eye, the tracks VANISHED!"

Everyone gasps as he tells his story. In all honesty, Gavin hasn't the faintest clue about specific events that happen in Spirit Tracks, but he's having a blast talking about it nonetheless. His friends and siblings are actually surprised he got that fact correct. In the beginning of the game, the tracks do disappear.

Ethan stands up and runs to his side, putting an arm around him, "And then, let me guess, you saw the tower that connected all of the tracks break into pieces!"

"Exactly!" he yells. "The tower SNAPPED, and I was left stranded. No tracks, my train was smashed to pieces, and Zelda was in the hands of her own trusted advisor!"

"Huh, I just realized we have the same humble beginnings," Ethan says, and clears his throat. "I was tossed by a giant bird, landing IN THE OCEAN! No boat, no raft, just at the mercy of the waves. Luckily, someone found me and took me to the nearest island. I awoke that morning to find a very small ship with no crew, not even a sail to its name. And, get this, the boat TALKED!"

Everyone laughs at the two boys' dramatic reenactments of their games. Julia tries to stand up and get more food, but finds that she is very dizzy. "Woah, hey, Purah!"

"Yes, hero of Koholint? Is your story next?" she asks happily.

"No, no, I'm just wondering. What did you put... what are these drinks?"

"Oh, it's the finest sake mixture we have! It's not as good as it would be back home in Kakariko, but I would be crazy if I didn't keep any on hand!"

Maria gasps and accidentally inhales some sake down the wrong pipe. Purah laughs and rubs her back. When she can talk again, she says, "This is alcoholic?!"

"Of course! Only the best for the princess, the prince, and their new heroes!" Purah yells, raising her glass. Zelda and Impa mimic her.

"But, I don't taste any alcohol-" Maria cuts herself off when she realizes she is starting to slur her words. "Oh goddesses. BOYS, STOP DRINKING THAT! We have a journey in the morn-"

Maria tries to get up, but is pulled onto Purah's lap. "Awe, come on! You've had a rough day. Let them unwind!"

"I- uh- huh-"

"Besides, you're so snuggly!"

"And now!" Robbie yells, getting to his feet. "I shall serenade you all while you tell your stories!" He takes out a small guitar that looks incredibly beat up. It only has three strings, and he almost snaps another one when he tries to tune it.

Julia takes the poor instrument from him and holds it above her head. "No, you don't! I'll play. John, you're up!"

As she starts playing the most epic music she can while drunk, Ethan reaches down and grabs John's arm, pulling him up to the fire. "Alright, alright," John says, his voice very giggly. "It all started when people began to go missing! I was hired by the princess to investigate strange paintings that were popping up all around the kingdom..."

With the big bonfire blazing, the music playing, and everyone clamoring as they continued to drink, no one notices they are being watched. From a distant treeline, a man gazes in their direction. He feels the edges of his hood and gently lowers it, letting his orange hair fall over his shoulders. Half of it is held up in a messy bun, the rest hanging in dreadlocks. He has glowing, purple eyes and a circlet around his head with a red gem. His face is ashen along with his fingers - the only other piece of skin shown behind that long cloak. One hand folds around a fragile, dark blue staff. From where his hand lies, a black fissure cracks along the body of the staff. The dimmed mark of the Triforce of Courage remains etched onto the back of his hand. The man's eyes are filled with deadly intent as he watches the giant group of people dancing around the fire, telling stories, and getting drunk. They think it's over, don't they? Too bad for them, I'm just getting started.

He steps forward, but someone else comes out of the trees. The newcomer whispers something into his ear, making the man growl. "Fine, I'm going immediately. It sounds like we're going to have to do this out of order. Tell Kohga the plan has changed. I'm heading for Korok Forest tonight. The Master Sword will be mine."

"And, the Gerudo?" the smaller figure asks.

"Lure out the chief, and have some fun with them," the man says, regaining his composure. He turns back to the dancing Hylians, not taking his eyes off them. Slowly, the purple of his eyes start to glow even more. "As for these new heroes, I shall cast a spell to make sure they don't see the light of day."

"Ooh, what kind of spell?"

"One that will make those three Sheikah curse their ancestors."

The man kneels to the grass and touches his staff against the ground. Instantly, glowing purple veins shoot around the dirt and the earth begins to quiver.

"Okay, everyone, I think we should go to bed!" Impa says, stumbling to her feet. Ethan rushes over and scoops her up into his arms with ease. "Heyyyy!"

"You're going to fall and hit your head," he argues. "Now, where is the front door?" He has never been this drunk before, and he completely blames Purah. He wouldn't have kept drinking if he knew it was alcoholic. Now, he can barely walk in a straight line.

As she's walking inside, Maria trips and almost crashes to the ground, but Purah catches her. "Woah, there!"

"Th-that's what you get for poisoning my drink!" she stutters.

Julia helps Robbie put the fire out and the two lead Zelda inside to where she will be sleeping. Gavin and John follow behind them, crashing right onto their sleeping spaces once they reach them. Gavin doesn't care about sleeping on the floor anymore, and can barely tell the difference now that he has a stomach full of sake. Ethan gently places Impa on the bed next to Zelda and then goes into the main room to sleep. Julia finds a spot and falls onto her stomach while Maria is guided to a spot next to Purah. Robbie sweeps everything off his table and decides it's his bed for the night. Andrew walks Link to his room, making sure the loopy hero gets there alright. But, when he goes to leave, he accidentally falls backward.

"S-sorry..." he slurs. "I've never had sake before, haha."

Link lets out a small laugh and wraps his arms around him, instantly falling asleep. Andrew doesn't have the strength to get up, so he gives in and lies down. Hopefully no one will throw up in the morning.

It's almost entirely dark, the surrounding area only lit by the blue flame coming from the torch in her hand. Julia wanders around the forest, and starts to take mental notes about a few distinct things.

First, the trees are so tall that she can't see the tops of any of them. They're so distorted that she also wouldn't be able to climb any if she desired. Second, she can hear the wind blowing but she doesn't feel it at all. The sound of the leaves presses her to believe the wind exists, but it may just be her imagination. Third, her footsteps make music. Every time her foot makes contact with the ground, she hears a note. B A A D B A F. The Nocturne of Shadow from Ocarina of Time. She would recognize that song anywhere.

Suddenly, there is screaming. Julia turns on her heels, thinking the noise came from behind her, but she sees nothing. Then, the floor glows purple, and she becomes frozen in her place.

"GAH!" Julia wakes with a start, placing her hands on her chest. She rakes her fingers through her hair and tests her other limbs, making sure she can move them. Once she recognizes that it was just a dream, she sighs and stands up. Carefully, she steps over her sleeping friends and reaches the window. Looking outside, she can see the distant forest treeline.

"What are you doing?" Maria whispers, making her jump.

"Ah, sorry, I just had a creepy dream is all," she responds, looking back out the window.

Maria notices how she leans on the frame, looking intently at the forest. "What was it?" she asks in a very serious tone.

"Noth-"

"Don't say nothing."

Julia looks at her, caving in. "There was something in that forest, and I heard the Nocturne of Shadow."

Maria furrows her eyebrows, grabbing her daggers that were placed by the door. "Come on, let's go and see."

"What about the others?"

"It's not that far. We will be back in a few minutes. Besides, everyone is still trying to sober up."

Julia nods and grabs her bow. Once they're outside, she takes a torch and lights it with the lab's blue furnace fire. She gives it to Maria so she can hold her bow more effectively. Maria sheathes one of her knives, but keeps her right hand armed.

She was right, it doesn't take long for them to reach the treeline. They venture into the forest, but everything seems normal. The sake is starting to dilute out of their system, but they are both still a little mind-clouded. After a few long minutes of looking around, Julia takes a deep breath, "We're just being paranoid. Let's go back."

Maria is about to say something, but a loud scream paralyzes the two. Literally, their muscles tense and their joints lock in place. Heavy footsteps can be heard behind them, but they can't turn around. The thing screams again, but this time it sounds closer. Tears well up in their eyes, but a loud thump is heard and they can move again. Quickly, the two women turn around to hear a familiar voice.

"The next time you sneak out of the house, don't accidentally step on my hand," Ethan says, resting his axe on his shoulder.

"Noted," Maria responds.

"Geez, what is this thing?" Gavin asks. Everyone's attention is turned toward the monster lying on the ground. For some reason, it hasn't dissolved into smoke like the moblins and bokoblins they've slain before.

The air gets caught in her throat at first, but Julia manages to ask, "What's a ReDead doing in this world?"

"Okayyy," Gavin says. He swerves as he stands, but manages to keep on his feet. "What's a ReDead?"

"In short, they're like zombies," Ethan explains. "And if they look at you, they paralyze you."

The four of them hear low groaning sounds. Maria shakily says, "And, I think this forest is full of them."

"Run," Julia says, snapping everyone out of their shock. "RUN!"

It feels as if it takes forever to get out of the forest, but once they do, it's a straight shot back to the laboratory. Gavin looks behind him a few times, waving his ice rod to try and slow the ReDeads' movements. Keeping in mind what Ethan told him, he aims for their heads so they can't gaze onto their prey.

Ethan is the first to bash through the door, instantly waking Robbie and Purah. "Wh-what's all the commotion?" the latter Sheikah asks.

"ReDeads in the forest!" he quickly explains. "They're heading straight for us!"

"The heck is a ReDead?" John asks, extremely loopy from just waking up. He covers his head with his blanket. "You all just need to go back to bed."

Ethan grumbles, "You're just like Gavin," and picks him off the floor, setting him onto his feet. "Here. Sword. This is serious."

Meanwhile, Julia hops over the others and heads for Zelda's room. "Princess, wake up! We need to go. Monsters are heading for the lab."

Impa shoots out of bed and makes a dash for her weapons while Zelda gathers her bearings. "I guess our journey to Kakariko is starting sooner than we thought."

Maria enters Link's room and thankfully also finds Andrew there. "Come on, you two. We need to move."

Andrew groans, but can tell by the tone of her voice that it's serious. "I am never drinking sake again..." he mutters, reaching for his spear. Link quickly puts his boots and hat on, also going for his weapon.

It doesn't take long for everyone to get outside. After a quick head count, Maria nods and turns to Purah. "Do you think we could just head for Hyrule Castle?"

"No, I fear if these are the ReDeads of legend, walking in the open fields would be the worst move possible," she answers. "It'd be best if we keep to the south, cut across Central Hyrule that way and stay hidden in the trees."

"Okay, let's-" the woman in red is cut off by loud groans of the monsters.

Julia turns and instantly takes a few out with her bow while Gavin freezes the ones she doesn't get. "Why are there so many...?" he asks quietly, but a few members of the party hear him.

"That's a question for another day. We need to go!" Ethan yells, grabbing the mage's wrist. He initiates the run, and everyone follows him, sprinting as fast as they can away from the undead monsters.

Thank goodness Julia made everyone stamina meals for dinner, as they all would have run out of energy by the time they reached Central Hyrule. Purah and Robbie lead them in a direction southeast, jumping through miniature forests along the way. It was a great plan, and she was right - the ReDeads have a harder time spotting them through the woods.

After a few hours of travel, the moon finally begins to dip, meaning it's just past midnight. The heroes continue to run, their hands on their weapons. Andrew knows exactly where they are. This is one of the first places he visited after jumping off the Great Plateau: the Wahgo Katta shrine. It's located in the lower right corner of Central Hyrule, meaning they must have ran for miles. All they have to do to get to Kakariko Village is turn left, then at the next intersection make a right. Follow the path past the wetlands and into the village. After mapping it out in his head, he thinks it shouldn't be too hard.

Link runs in the back of the group with Zelda, who turns around once they pass the location of the shrine. She lets Link guide her, but his hand suddenly slips out of hers. Link assumes that she tripped, but she's just standing there, completely frozen.

Link gasps and scoops the princess into his arms, but his muscles turn to stone. His mind is racing, and he tries so hard to move his legs. But, he is incapable of moving anything, not even his fingers.

"Zelda! Link!" John yells, gaining the attention of the group.

Andrew instantly takes action and runs along the outside of the oncoming group of ReDeads. Quickly, he lowers himself to the height of his spear and dashes at them, stabbing three at once. He lifts them over his head and slams them on the ground, kicking them off his weapon. Andrew then raises the spear, spins on his heels, and throws it right at a fourth monster. He becomes frozen in place when he makes eye contact with it, but the spear flies through the air. It stabs the ReDead right in the chest, and Andrew can move again.

Link becomes unparalyzed when Andrew skewered the three monsters, and he inhales as much air as he can. Gently, he places Zelda on the ground and makes sure she's alright.

"I'm fine," she says, clearly out of breath.

"They just keep coming," John says, finally taking his sword out of its holster. The group takes a moment to regain their energy from all the running.

"I wish we had more stamina potion. I'm getting tired," Julia admits.

"Think you can make it to Kakariko if we keep running?" Ethan asks, now concerned. She responds by taking a deep breath and nodding.

"It's not that far, we're over halfway there," Andrew reassures her. "We just need to take a right up that path and cross the wetlands."

"I still don't understand," Impa says. "For thousands of years, no one has seen a ReDead. They're basically as legendary as the Hero of Hyrule! We have monsters roaming around, sure, but not those found in children's fairytales."

Purah's face is grim as she becomes deep in thought. "Perhaps, this is the first sign of the Calamity rising once more?"

"No," Andrew instantly says. "This didn't happen before. Er... it doesn't happen later. Gah! I'm from the future, so it's weird to explain. I've never even seen... whatever these things are."

"What are you saying?" Zelda asks.

"I'm saying, I don't think it's Ganon."

"Something else, then?" Gavin asks.

"Or, someone else," Ethan says.

"I'd hate to break up our little meeting here, but..." John doesn't finish his sentence, but instead points at the path behind them. Everyone's hearts sink. There must be hundreds of ReDeads stumbling from the direction they came from.

"If they catch us..." Maria starts, but can't bring herself to finish that thought.

"We're dead, we got it. Can we run now?!" Gavin yells, snapping everyone out of their shock.

They all only take a few steps before the ReDeads who Andrew killed groan and stand up. "Are you kidding me?!" the spear wielder yells. "They can't die?!"

"Y-yes, they can!" Julia responds, not believing what she's seeing. "Uh, um, oh! The sun!"

"Perfect, so we just have to wait seven hours until morning hits!" Gavin yells, starting to freak out.

They reach another set of trees, but are taken by surprise this time. ReDeads cut them off, freezing those who were leading the group. Purah, Robbie, Gavin, and Maria are all frozen. Ethan stays close to the ground and rolls to the right, while John holds his breath as he sneaks off to the left. The hero with the axe hides behind a few trees until he knows that he is far enough behind the monsters. John spins his sword in his hand and uses the magic of his bracelet to merge into a tree. He does this repeatedly, hopping between trees, and discovers that the monsters can't freeze him when he's merged into a wall. He pauses once he is a good enough distance away, finding Ethan. The two men make eye contact before nodding, and charging out of their hiding spots. They attack the ReDeads from behind, freeing their friends.

"Now they're in front of us," Robbie screams, his voice trembling in fear. "At this rate, we'd only make it to the village by luck!"

"If only we could sneak around like they can!" Maria responds as they all start running again.

Purah's expression lights up and she orders, "EVERYONE STOP!"

"Huh? Stop in the middle of a zombie ambush?" John asks sarcastically.

"I can't do this if everyone is moving around. Plus... I've never done this big of a spell before," Purah responds.

"Sister, are you sure?" Impa asks, concerned.

"I need to try."

Before anyone can ask what the heck they're talking about, Purah closes her eyes and presses her hands together. She completely clears her mind, only choosing to listen to the very delicate breeze. The shroud of the night's shadows consume her, and when she opens her eyes again, they illuminate in a purple hue. Slowly, she extends her hands out in front of her, some kind of purple energy shooting out of them. Then, she raises her hands at the sky. After a few moments, the light show dissipates and Purah falls to her knees in exhaustion.

"Purah!" Impa yells, running to help her up. Maria also rushes over, grabbing her other arm.

"I-I-I'm fine..." the Sheikah stutters.

"What was that?" Maria asks.

"A... spell. I put a shroud over us, to make us invisible."

Gavin looks at his hands. He doesn't look invisible, but then he waves his fingers. They are extremely blurry when they move. Everyone else seems to notice this as well. "Woah..." is all he can say.

"How did you do that?" Andrew asks, still staring at his arms.

"I'm-"

"Don't!" Impa yells, cutting Purah off. "It's been a secret your entire life! You haven't even told the princess!"

"Tell me what?" Zelda asks, extremely confused.

Purah sighs, leaning most of her weight on Maria. "It's okay, sis. The truth is... I'm the Sage of Shadow."

Zelda slowly puts her hands over her mouth, and Link is also staring at her in awe. Maria's jaw drops and she instantly makes eye contact with Julia who shrugs, also not believing what she's hearing.

Ethan is the only one to voice his thoughts. "Wait, so you mean this as in the Six Sages?"

"Yes, actually."

"Hold the phone," Andrew says, raising his hands. "First ReDeads and now Sages? What is going on?"

"We can explain everything at the village," Impa reminds him. "We are currently still surrounded."

"Right, but you better answer all of my questions," he presses.

"No kidding," Gavin mutters.

They decide to walk the rest of the way because of how drained Purah is. Besides, there's no need to run if the ReDeads can't see them. John thinks they look incredibly ugly up close. Their 'skin' is brown like the wood of the trees. They have decomposed teeth, and nothing in their eye sockets. Everything about them seems hollow. All of them continue to make low groaning noises, and are now walking in all directions in order to try and find them. The ReDeads will occasionally all stop and glance their way when they walk by, but that's because they can hear their footsteps.

Everything seems to be going as well as it can until they reach the entrance to the village. No one talks, it's deathly quiet, but there are people outside. All of them frozen, most people in horrified poses. Some Sheikah who wield spears look like they tried to attack the monsters before they were, too, paralyzed.

"It can't be... they invaded the village..." Impa gasps, completely struck with fear.

Maria feels her right side dipping, so she stops walking to make sure Purah isn't falling. The woman's legs give out, the only thing keeping her up are Maria's arms. "I'm... sorry, but... I can't..."

"Purah, no!" Maria yells as the Sheikah collapses. She quickly kneels down and checks her pulse, thankfully feeling it right away. She looks fine, just exhausted and extremely pale. "We need to get her to the doctor!"

"I don't think that's happening any time soon," Julia says, not taking her eyes off a roaming ReDead. "Everyone, stay perfectly still. They can see us."

Link looks down at his hand. Sure enough, it's completely solid. Everyone stands in a circle, pessing their backs against each other. Slowly, they reach for their weapons. The rangers, Julia, Gavin, and Andrew, hold their positions, not wanting to start a fight. If they attack, the ReDeads might all look at them. John quickly scans the area and finds a rock not too far in front of him. His wrist glows where the bracelet rests. If he needs to merge, he's ready. Ethan feels the most exposed, but stays calm behind his axe. He makes sure he is keeping the monsters from being able to look at Link or the princess, being how tall he is. Link does the same by stepping in front of his adoptive sister, raising his sword and shield. Impa grits her teeth and brandishes her kodachi, starting to get fed up with these monsters. Robbie holds the little Guardian, twirling a screwdriver in his fingers. Maria stays on the ground and holds Purah close to her chest.

Come on, there has to be something, Maria thinks to herself. Please, give me something to use! Anything!

She continues to look around, and then sees it. Something shining in the moonlight. It doesn't look like anything much, but for some reason she is drawn to it. It's now or never. Maria breaks the standstill by lunging for the item, and the ReDeads turn their heads in their direction.

John merges into a wall and the three rangers fire their weapons. Ethan feels himself starting to become paralyzed, so he throws his axe at an enemy before he loses control of his arms. Impa, Robbie, and Link instantly become frozen, but not before Link shields Zelda from their gaze with his body.

Maria presses her back against the rock she rolled behind, clutching the small blue item closely. She looks at it, and her mouth drops. The Ocarina of Time. Why would she find this in her hour of need? What could this possibly help with? It must be a song. Which one?

She tries to think and starts to panic. How do we kill ReDeads? Then, she remembers what Julia said before: The sun!

It's not a song from her game, technically, but she hopes it works. Maria places her fingers across the holes of the instrument. Somehow, she knows exactly which ones she needs to lift as she plays: A F D A F D.

You've played the Sun's Song!

The moon quickly drops and the sun peeks over the horizon. At the sight of the light, the ReDeads all start screaming, their skin smoking, and they slowly disintegrate. Maria watches as her friends become unfrozen along with the rest of the village.

"What the heck?" Ethan groans, gasping for air.

John pops out of the rock and gestures to his sister. "That was so cool. You just played one song and it instantly became daytime!"

"Woah, Maria!" Julia gasps. "Is that the Ocarina of Time?"

"Y-yeah..." she answers, staring at the instrument. "I think we need to have a major discussion on what just happened."