Hyrule Marathon

This chapter takes place a year before the main Third Gen story. It focuses on Perry, but is also connected to Emma's Quest.

Planet Hyrule; Zauz's Island

A name like the Phantom Sea may induce fear to any wary sailors, but it didn't feel so bad so far as Perry Uno was concerned. The day was cool, sky partly cloudy, and the sea peaceful. The 8-year-old child peered over the keel of his dad's personal ship, ever curious of their destination in this lonely region of the sea. Then it grew close: a small island shaped like a spiral mount, a single house with a chimney on top.

"There's a house all the way out here?" Perry asked in a manner typical of a curious youth.

"Not just any house." answered his father, Cheren. "You're looking at the home of Hyrule's greatest blacksmith, Zauz."

"Sauce?"

"Haha, yes, Perry. Sauce. I heard that Zauz is descended from an ancient tribe native to this ocean. He makes the best swords around… except he'll only make them for people he thinks are 'good enough.' Pretty soon, you're gonna wanna move up from that training sword. We're gonna see if he can recommend anything good for you."

"Did he ever make a sword for you?"

"No, but I did visit him once. He wanted to try and figure out what the Master Sword was made from, hehe!"

"But how come I don't get the Master Sword?"

"Take it one step at a time, kiddo!"

"But Daaaaaad!"

Laughing off his son's protests, they anchored the ship and rowed to shore, traveling up the spiral mount, with only grazing Cuccos to inhabit the rock. The rhythmic banging of a hammer against steel rang from within as Cheren creaked the door open. Perry peeped in, his eyes flinching from the sparks flying off from the hammered sword. Zauz bore the sharp eyes of a hawk, with thick, furrowed red brows to match his hair, and even his big nose was almost beak-like. His torso was bare, showing off purple tattoos, and he wore strong blue jeans.

The blacksmith halted his progress after sensing the company. "Ah, seems my magazines have arrived earl—oh." Zauz was mildly disappointed. "Ahem, I mean…" he assumed a stoic demeanor, "You have returned, Hero of Time. For what aid do you need of… Zauz the Blacksmith?"

"Ehhh…" Perry wasn't buying the cool demeanor.

"Zauz, this is my son, Perry." Cheren nudged the boy inside. "I've been teaching him the classic arts."

"This boy?" Zauz walked around the anvil. "He's still quite young…" He bent down to hold up Perry's hands, observing the light roughness of his palms, "but his skill with the blade is diligent."

"Yeah, too bad Dad won't let me have the Master Sword." Perry rolled his gray eyes.

"Perry's gonna be the KND Supreme Leader soon. I just wanted to get him a sword that would mark his identity, know what I mean?"

"Yes, I do. But I'm still uncertain if you're suited for one of my works."

"Come on, Zauzy, what else have you got to do with your time?"

"I'd like to have that answer very soon." Zauz seemed to tap his foot expectantly. "However, since you came all this way, I will enlighten the idea." The smith led them to a shelf with rocks of different shape and texture. "These are ores I purchased online. If a sword is a reflection of one's identity, then one must also choose the best material befitting one's identity. Which of these stones do you believe best suits you?"

"Uhhh…" Perry knew nothing about rocks. Heck, their labels were written in Hylian, so he couldn't even read them. Even if he could clearly make out the unique textures, how was he supposed to guess the best one? "Man, I shoulda brought Robi…"

"I don't think even Robi knows rocks that well."

"What happens if I pick wrong?"

"Then I guess the sword will curse you."

"Daaaaad!"

"Swords have souls. Wills of their own." Zauz said. "When a swordsman finds one he bonds well with, he will hear its voice. The same is true with these stones."

"THEY CAN TALK?!"

"Zauz, don't give him any spiritual mumbo jumbo."

"All I'm saying is, it isn't a matter of quality materials. It's a matter of listening to your heart for what you truly believe-"

"MAIL CALL!" A short, Nimbi postman poked into the doorway.

"YES! My Weekly Tattoo Digest!" Zauz happily snatched the magazine from the postman's grasp, whilst the accompanied ads spilled on the floor. "Ahh! I see Gollin has taken up belly facial art. Fascinating."

"You need more friends, man." Cheren remarked, squatting to pick up the ads. "…?" One ad caught his attention. "Hyrule's having a marathon?"

"Yes, that it is." Zauz affirmed. "They've been advertising it for weeks… makes good kindling for the fire." He took the ad. "And it seems they've revealed the prizes. The Top 10 winners get to choose one of 10 items."

"Is one of them a sword?" Perry perked up.

"It would seem not. Seems we have a Supreme Rock Sirloin, a bottle of Queen Mandy's favorite makeup, a Rupee Medal, and… Gold Dust?"

"Someone wanna get rich?" Cheren smirked.

"It's just that Gold Dust is one of the rarest minerals on Hyrule… but it's known to craft weapons of the highest quality. Admittedly, I've always wanted to forge something with…"

"Oooooooo!" Perry's glasses reflected the joy off his irises. "If we get that dust, can you make me a sword from it?!"

"Hold on now, Perry." Cheren said. "You shouldn't have to go to that much trouble. Besides, isn't gold actually soft and malleable?"

"Normal gold is, but this kind is different." Zauz replied. "When forged the right way, it can become a high quality weapon."

"Come on, Dad, let's get the Gold Dust!"

"Let me just take a look at this… Hylian I can't read, Zauz, can you?"

"It says the race will begin at the south end of the Bridge of Hylia. You will travel northwest to the Tabantha region, north up and around Tanagar Canyon, and touch the Finish Line before Lake Totori. It also provides warning to potential monsters or brigands you may encounter along the way."

"Aunt Mandy's safety laws are as on point as ever. Perry, maybe I'll just race in this myself."

"No way! It won't be fair if I don't get the dust myself, right? What kinda Supreme Leader am I if I can't win a silly race?"

"You're not racing Ralph to school, Perry, you're racing a bunch of people over a 50-mile countryside. …And that's just a random guess."

"Well, I'm gonna do it! I'm gonna get a strong sword, AND strong legs! Pleeeeaaase?"

"Sigh…" Cheren questioned if Perry had the leg strength for such a thing. Then again, his mother was fleetfooted as a bunny back in the day, so maybe some of that passed onto Perry. And it would make great training all the same. "You're lucky I packed your kicks."

Two days later; Lake Hylia

Perry was beaming at the colorful array of Hyruleans gearing up for the race. A trio of Gorons with rope headbands, several Lizalfos, a portly farmer with blue overalls and a thick brown mustache, a tall thin Postman wearing a Bunny Hood… compared to most of these large and seasoned-looking grown-ups, Perry began to doubt his odds. But it encouraged him to know there were other kids in the running. He saw a boy with spiked white hair at one end, bouncing a ball, and a girl with spiked orange hair at another, straightening the laces of her brown boots. A Rito ostrich girl was flexing her talons in preparation, a Gerudo in sports gear was doing jogs, and Perry barely noticed a small Korok kid in-between some legs.

"It's almost time, Pear-Bear." Cheren said. "Sure you don't want me with you? If both of us race, that evens our odds of-"

"I'm sure, I'm sure!" Perry flailed his arms in defiance. "I can do this myself, Dad! Really!"

"Okay, okay! At least the race will be monitored with cameras, so I could always come running 'case things get dicey. You packed your water and snacks, right?"

"Duh!" Perry's chirp drew the gaze of the white-haired boy.

"That's my boy! Alright, I'll be in the stands. Oh, and remember… keep your background on the down low." Cheren slipped a Keaton Mask on. "We are sorta famous on this rock."

"Tehe!" Perry zipped his grin.

His father leaving, Perry proceeded to wander his way to the Start Line. His shiny green sneakers carried him with gusto, fortified for the great distance—"Gah!" something bumped him in the knee, causing him to tumble forward. "Ugh…well, that's a great start. …?" A pair of dark shoes clouded his view, kicking up a small cloud of dirt.

"Hey, newb, the school's back that way." The white-haired boy said, his red eyes glaring. His smirk was almost covered by the collar of his white vest, from which a large zipper hung. "Get movin' before you get trampled."

Why couldn't he enjoy a fun race without bullies? Why did Perry have to deal with such an unwanted nuisance? The spectacled boy pushed himself up, glaring back at the brat who was taller by inches. "What's your problem?!"

"You even know what you're getting into?" The boy bounced the ball in his hand. "This fitness marathon is sponsored by the queen herself. And that means people are allowed to play dirty. Only way to win is to have tricks up your sleeve."

"Yeah, well the only tricks I need are these legs. So, go bother someone…" Perry saw his vision go blurry. "Where're my glasses?!"

"Heh." The boy walked off, dangling the glasses in his fingers. "Good luck."

"HEY!" Perry tried to grab his glasses back, but the older kid evaded him swiftly, redirecting his hands with ease. "Stop! Give 'em back! Please!"

Hearing the commotion, the orange-haired girl glanced over. A younger boy was trying to take his glasses back from a bully. The sight of it was infuriating.

"If you want 'em, come and get 'em!" The white-haired began to dash around the racers, Perry struggling to track him in his limited vision. "Hahahaha!" The bully raised the glasses high, confident in his—"?!" a fishing hook seemed to fly out of nowhere, stealing the glasses.

"Here, little guy!" Perry turned toward a blurry, orange-topped face. As the glasses were gently placed over him, her vibrant visage was the first to light his vision. "That's better, right?" She had pretty emerald eyes and a frilly white, buttoned dress. Up close, Perry realized her spiked orange hair had a gradient of yellow.

"Ah…yeah, it's great! Thanks!"

"My pleasure! …And you." Her gaze turned cold when facing the white-haired. "I thought Sheikah were better than that. What's your deal?"

"Just wanted to give the newbie a little lesson. We'll see how long he lasts like that. You don't look so hot yourse-" He flicked his ball at the girl, but she ducked her head. The ball bounced off a Goron's back, against a Lizalfos' horn, and bounced to the sky, where it bumped a passing Kagarok before returning to its owner's hand. "Heh…I'll give you that one." The Sheikah turned and walked to the Start Line. "By the way, the name's Unzen. (from Medaka Box) See you on the track… or not."

"Hmph…well, thanks again." Perry smiled. "My name's Perry."

"I'm Emma. Hehe, is that a real sword?" She noted the hilt on his back.

"Yep!" Perry drew the small dagger. "But I hope to trade in for a new one."

"Wow!" He may have looked young and innocent, but it seemed Perry was no stranger to combat. "But, they're not offering any swords, are they?"

"You'll see." Perry winked.

"Haha, okay. But between you and me, I'm in this for the Rock Sirloin. They say only Gorons can eat it, but let's just say I know a few methods…"

"Cool, but… you sure boots are good for racing?"

"A lot of the terrain gets pretty rough along this course. Besides, I'm pretty used to 'em."

"Okay!" Perry closed his eyes upward and raised his left hand. "Then may the best kid win!"

"Yeah!" Emma closed her eyes and high-fived! The sun seemed to shine particularly bright on their linked hands, as if signaling their friendship!

"ATTENTION, ALL CONTESTANTS!" Tingle, a short man with a clownish face and green, pointy-headed jumpsuit, announced from the sky, aloft via a red balloon in his backpack. "The Great Fairy Fitness Marathon is about to begin! Everyone line up in an orderly position! As you know, this race is meant to inspire fitness and stalwartness to the people of Hyrule, and to honor the fairies! If you've studied our maps, you'll be starting here from the Bridge of Hylia and working your way to the bridge crossing Lake Totori! In other words, the race will end before you reach Rito Village. There will be many forks in the road, but we've posted flags to keep everyone from straying too far off course. However, when you reach Tanagar Canyon, you'll be required to cross around to the northeast end, whereas the bridge to the west will be barricaded."

"I don't remember anything about honoring fairies." Perry said, he and other kids lining up in a group.

"That guy's sort of a fairy nut." Emma replied.

"But, as per Her Majesty's 'special' requisites, you may find numerous monsters and dangers along this course, designed to test one's courage in the name of the great hero, Link! Participants who reach the end will receive a hefty compensation prize of 2,000 Rupees, but the lucky Top 10 will have their choice of an additional reward! On your marks, get ready…" Tingle reached into his pouch, and "Kooloo-LIMPAH!" the shower of confetti signaled the race! (Play "Goron Race" from Majora's Mask!)

Perry ran with as much speed as his little body could manage, not just to make his way to the front of the pack, but to avoid being trampled by some of the more hefty opponents. He wished he had the time to overlook the vast Lake Hylia, watch it slowly scroll past his vision. There was an island halfway across the western half, which seemed to sink into a crater, and… the Lizalfos and Zora competitors were diving right off the bridge! "HEY! They're swimming across the lake! Is that allowed?!"

"What're you, dumb?" Unzen retorted, hanging just in front of him. "I said people were allowed to use underhanded tactics to win. The only real rule is to stay within the posted flags, which as you can see, go around the whole lake."

"But that's not fair! That gives some of these people a big advantage!"

"Then you shoulda trained harder!" Unzen chucked his ball down at Perry's feet, but even as the boy dodged, the ball bounced, bashed the forehead of a tailing Hylian, and ricocheted a clean arch back to Unzen's hand.

"FASTER, BROTHERS!" yelled the leader of the Goron Blood Brothers. "The Supreme Rock Sirloin will be ours! And we will fry it to a molten crisp over our sacred training grounds!"

"GOOOOOR!"

However, the Goron felt a fishing hook latch his topknot, feeling it tug him as Emma used it to reel herself up and over the Goron. "GOR?!" The trio were dumbstruck as the orange-haired girl flipped and landed just a few feet ahead of the rumbling rockmen.

"You know, you guys could go a lot faster if you roll." Emma suggested.

"Gorons who rely too much on rolling are too weak! Real Goron build muscle in their legs!"

"Haha! I really admire that!"

"You have our thanks, Little Sister!"

The crowd passed the gate exiting the bridge, in which Perry caught a brief glimpse of the Lizalfos and Zoras trying to climb the cliff at the lake's shore. The road would go in snaky curves as they passed Scout's Hill. "Is that one of the racers?" Perry glared ahead, seeing the small frame of a man dashing a cloud of dust far ahead of the pack. "He's so fast!"

"That's Hyrule's fastest Postman." Unzen explained. "Except when he's off the clock, he's the Marathon Man. No matter the time of day, he's always running, and his passion for his duties makes him unstoppable. Heh, but everyone knows that. You really aren't from around here, are ya?"

"Yeah, well I…I'm only 8! I go to school and play at the playground like any kid!"

"Oh, I'm sure…ah, looks like we have our first beastie."

A massive goat with long, forward horns came dashing from the west! It was an Ordon Goat from a faraway region, or rather, it was the most well-bred goat of the ranch! It charged with the strength and ferocity of a bull. The terrified racers veered right to keep away from its rampage. "BROTHERS! Let us teach this goat the art of Goron Sumo!" The three brothers lined up in the goat's path, their hulking hands grabbing the beast and throwing it on its side. Imagine the Gorons' surprise as it flipped up and thrusted one of its horns, blowing the rock-hard racers down. The goat turned its gaze on the crowd and charged them, but Unzen, a wry smirk on his face, jumped to the challenge.

"UNZEN!!" Perry screamed, stopping out of consideration. A boy his size should've been blown away by such a force… yet, Unzen's feet were rooted relatively firmly.

"That's a nice goatie!" Unzen raised a ball with a glass slipper symbol. "Have a taste of my Cinderella! Huh?" A hand grabbed his wrist. "What're you doing?"

"Don't hurt that poor goat." Emma stated. "She just needs to be milked."

Unzen cocked a brow as Emma hurried beneath the goat and put a bucket down. She patiently milked the goat's udders, and Unzen felt the beast calm down. "Ordon Goats get pretty wild when they don't get a proper milking. And they make great cheese, too! This was pretty lucky."

"Heh heh…" Perry was humored by her calm, casual, but clever approach to the situation. "UH-OH!" Remembering the event taking place, he hastened to catch up.

The posted flags kept them going along the snaky trail, then would direct the racers left after reaching a fork. "Hey, watch it, big guy!"

"Whoa!" Perry realized he nearly tripped on the little Korok child, its little body struggling to toddle along. "Sorry!"

"Huff, huff, I'll never catch up at this rate…oh! I can cut through this forest!" The Korok made a right turn toward what seemed like a small forest.

"The flags go around the forest…hmmm." Perry slowed down and pulled out his map. "Yeah, that would be a nice shortcut! Let's try it!" He dashed in the Korok's direction and swiftly outpaced him.

"BROTHERS! We will save time if we cut through here! Let's gor!"

Feeling the rumbling at his back, Perry saw the Blood Brothers catching up. "Hey, watch where you're going!" Feeling the karma of nearly tripping on that Korok, Perry hastened to dodge around the charging giants. "That's it, if we're playing dirty, I'm hitching a ride!" Perry jumped on the farthest Goron's back.

"Go find your own back, Brother!"

Catching up with the pack, Unzen and Emma saw the group head to the forest. "It does look like a shortcut." Emma said. "But there's bound to be a trap."

"Well, duh. Only an ignoramus wouldn't know the Forest of Time."

"Where'd it get that name?!"

"From the high bursts of Time Chi that happen every so often. When you go in, well… go on and find out for yourself if you want."

Perry rode the Gorons all the way through the small forest, basking in the ethereal blue glows… but, what came out of the other side were a trio of hunched, rugged, elderly Gorons. "Hooooo…faster… my brothers…"

"Bwaaaaah!" Little Perry turned into a tiny baby, riding the Goron's back like a camel. "Wab wab-wab waaaaab! (What happened to meeeee?)"

The forest let out at another fork in the center of the Gatepost Town Ruins, where racers divided in either direction. At the pace the Gorons were going, victory seemed to grow even farther away. "YAHAHAAAAA!" Looking back, Perry saw a huge tree Korok come bolting out of the forest. "I KNEW IT WOULD WORK!"

The Korok bolted past the Gorons with ease, but Perry was swept up by its thick branches. The baby held tight to the swaying leaves as the Korok followed the left route. Shortly after, another fork would emerge: they could either go west to the Satori Mountain route or north past Mount Daphnes. The Korok chose to run north. As Perry faced the road behind them, he saw two familiar faces catching up. "Hey! What's that baby doing on that Korok tree?!" Emma pointed.

"Babababa!" Perry waved. "Wah?!" The child felt the tree begin to shrink, while he himself grew. "WHOOOA!" He wound up tumbling and rolling over the little Korok.

"PERRY?!"

"Hahahaha!" Unzen stopped to point and laugh. "Hope you didn't soil yourself!"

Perry shot a quick spit in Unzen's face before getting up and running. Emma giggled as she bypassed him as well. Perry took a quick peek at the map to see they were passing Aquame Lake on their left. The intended road would make a wide birth around Mount Daphnes… but Perry wondered if the land around the mountain's left would be level enough for him to traverse it? Unfortunately, some racers were veering off into a right fork, even though the way further was allowed. …He would soon realize a Silver Lynel was guarding the shorter route. "Is that a centaur?!"

"It's a Lynel!" Emma answered. "And a super strong one at that! It must be from the coliseum across the lake. Maybe it would be safer to cut this way…"

On one hand, Perry agreed… but this seemed like one of the only chances for a good shortcut. Should he have the courage to bolt past this Lynel? …Or should a future leader make the wiser decision to take the safer way? "If I just get far enough around him, maybe I can still cut." Perry chose to take the right road, where they would cut past the Exchange Center.

"Well, suit yourselves!" Unzen bravely ran toward the Lynel.

There was a small pond by the path to the Exchange Center and trees dotted around it. Perry followed the printed road as it sloped up into a hill, before deciding to veer left off the path toward the Windvane Meadow. "Dwaaaah!" Perry saw the ostrich Rito get blown back by a strong gust. Perhaps this meadow was true to its name.

"No stealing my shortcut, suckers!" A short Deku with bushy, gold leaf hair came zipping by. "Thanks for the help, chums!"

A band of Deku were hiding in the forest that covered part of the meadow. Once their pal had passed by, they resumed blowing their leaf fans, stirring a powerful gust. "Gah, those cheating Deku!" the ostrich cawed. "Young man, do you need a lift? I could run past them if I have the extra weight to go with my speed."

"Wow, thanks!" Perry happily climbed on the ostrich, his little hands around her neck. The Rito stretched her neck forward and dashed against the fans. The hiding Deku tried to drop on them, but Perry used his left hand to grab his sword and swing it to scare the wooded creatures.

"I tell ya, when Deku aren't ripping you off in the market, they're crooked thieves!"

"The only Deku I know is a superhero. And he's way cooler than that!"

The ostrich ran off the edge of the Windvane Meadow, glid to the ground, and hurried to the main track. "Thanks for help!" Perry slid off and raced toward the left. "See you!"

"Where're you going?"

"Shortcut!"

"But that way leads…" Her voice faded from the distance.

Other racers had the idea to go along the cliff left of Mount Daphnes, named for an ancient Hyrulean king. Perry watched for slippery parts sloping off the cliff as the road grew narrow, but he kept a steady pace until this route would lead to the Giant's Forest. He would lose sight of the other racers through the land of thick trees. "AAAAH!" A blue Hinox lunged at him from behind some trees, Perry leaping away from his snatch just in time. The earth rumbled under the cyclops' pursuit, but in Perry's attempt to cut around some trees to lose them, he hit the belly of a snoozing red Hinox. He was doomed to be the blue one's prey because of this, ducking out of horror.

"DAAAAAH!" A bomb burst against its eye, the cyclops falling to a sit as he rubbed it.

"I don't see what his deal is. You look too tiny to fill him up." Perry looked up and saw Unzen sitting on the red one's belly, legs spread open in a cocky and laid-back demeanor.

"How did you get here so quickly?!"

"'Cause I cut past the Lynel. Now, you gonna keep running," the Hinox raised its hand, "or are we waiting for this guy to wake up?" When it tried to plop it on Unzen, the boy whipped out some metal strings to slice the hand. Unzen slid off the opposite end, and Perry scrambled to run around and catch up.

"Wait, what about the other racers?! Did they get caught?! We gotta help them!"

"Relax, they've probably been paid to do this. They ain't gonna eat anyone… I think."

"Whaddyou mean THINK?!"

The forest eventually let back out on the main road. They traveled between the Gustaf mountains and would have a view of Hyrule Castle Town before having to go northwest. Perry barely caught up to Unzen by the time they crossed Carok Bridge. "Unzen, are you a KND operative? You're pretty good… (as much as I hate to say it)."

"I'm the Chief Guard at Headquarters. What, are you some newbie in some nameless sector?"

"Heh, you have no idea."

"Same to you." Unzen raised and threw his ball through the wood bridge, ricocheting off the support beams underneath before bouncing right back up to him. The beams snapped, causing the bridge to collapse under the weight of the few arriving racers. Unzen made a bold leap to the end, while Perry himself fell and splashed in the river.

"Plah!" He spat out some water. "On second thought, you're not very good at ALL!"

"BROTHERS! The bridge is out!" yelled one of the Blood Brothers.

"What should we do?! We'll have to go all the back and take the Satori Mountain road!"

"No-goro! There's a bridge up on Mount Gustaf! Hurry up and start climbing!"

Frustrated and determined, Perry struggled to climb the cliff beneath the opposite side, but he kept slipping off the smoothish surface. The other racers resigned to swimming downriver to the nearest shore, mentally giving up on the race. "What the…" Emma was horrified to see what happened. Whoever did this really had no sense of sport. However, she saw Perry trying to climb up the other side. Knowing she had to help, Emma drew her bow-and-arrow, but tied a rope to it. She shot the arrow to pierce one of the stable wood pegs on the other side. She tied the rope to another peg and used it to balance her way across. "Hey, Perry!" Emma then lowered her fishing hook down. "Grab on! I'll pull you up!"

"Emma! Heh…" Perry wrapped the string around his hand and clung on tight. His weight was menial as Emma reeled him in. "You're pretty strong!"

"Nah, I just do a lot of fishing."

"I love fishing!"

"Cool!" The two ran together down into a trench with almost bone-like formations jutting from the cliff. Nejirons emerged from the soil and would explode them, had Emma not shot them from far away.

"You got arrows, too? Man, Dad won't let me have a bow, yet…"

The north passage led them out of the Breach of Demise and onto an upper valley. Only Unzen, the Gerudo athlete, Marathon Man, and the Rito ostrich seemed to be making tracks ahead of them, crossing between the snowy Lindor's Brow and Salari Hill. It wasn't until they were just at the edge of Salari Plain that Perry's feet began to give out, the child slowing to a halt. "Man…huff…huff…this is way farther… than I thought it was going to be…" Collapsing on his rump, Perry pulled out the sandwich he'd been saving for a snack. "Mmmmm…man, if I run any farther, my legs are gonna fall off…" (End song.)

"Mine, too…" Emma pulled her boots off and rubbed her tired soles. She took out a fish sandwich from her Infi-Cube and rejuvenated herself. "And we're barely even done. We have to keep going northeast and make a big loop around this canyon. Then we'll have to cut through Tabantha Snowfield and a village before we make it to the finish."

"A snowfield? Man, I didn't come prepared at all! Isn't there another way?"

"Not necessarily. …Hey, where's that boy going?"

Looking where she indicated, Perry saw Unzen racing to the northwest cliffs. "That jerk… is he planning to jump or something?!"

"P-Perry… look at that!!"

To his great awe, a huge, fiery, Chinese dragon descended from the northeast sky, curving horizontally before flying along the trench in their relative direction. "Heh heh heh! The Fire Dragon, Dinraal." Unzen snickered. "I knew you'd be here around this time." The Sheikah made a mad dash to a jut in the cliff, which stuck out longer than any other.

"Is he… going to hitch a ride on Dinraal?!"

"That cheater!" His adrenaline returning, Perry dashed after him.

"Perry, wait!"

Dinraal's body was a bit too far for Unzen to jump to, but he was just close enough to grab his arm. However, not taking kindly to the passenger, Dinraal set himself aflame, burning the Sheikah. "AAAAGH!"

"HEY! UNZEN!" Perry screamed. "Whaddya think you're doing?! You're gonna die?!"

"Shut it! I'm too strong… to let something like this-"

"RAWWWR! RAWWWR! RAWWWWR!" Dinraal began to vehemently shake his arm. The motion and the pain was too intense for Unzen to bear. "AAAAAAHH!" So, he wound up plummeting into Tanagar Canyon.

"UNZEEEEN!" Perry dove into the trench, much to Emma's horror. It relieved her to see Perry whip out a parachute-like tarp, softening his landing on the canyon floor. The orange-haired girl latched her fishing hook in the ground, using it as a climber's rope as she kick-jumped her way down the cliff.

Unzen had crashed into a large puddle, likely left from yesterday's rain. He gasped for breath crawling out of the puddle… and it would be his turn to find Perry's shoes before him. But rather than a cynical smirk, Unzen only found a concerned frown on the freckled boy's face. "Are you okay? Is anything broken?"

"Shut up." Unzen pushed himself up and angrily limped away. "Nice job trapping yourself down here with me. Now you'll never win."

"The KND puts the safety of fellow kids above all else."

"Hey, are you two okay?!" Emma called, nearly at the canyon's base.

"I guess you're just as dumb as he is."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"At least I didn't try to ride a fiery dragon! Who's the ignoramus now?"

"I woulda had a better shot than you. Though I wouldn't have to if my dumb dad taught me the Moon Walk…"

"Ya mean like this?" Perry tried to do the moonwalk.

"Not that, dumbo!"

"At least you're alright." Emma said. "Anyway… if we climb my fishing line the same way I got down, we could make it back up."

"But by then, the other racers will be way ahead of us." Perry sighed. "And I'll be even tireder…mmmmm…" The youth depressedly opened his map. "There's gotta be some other way…"

"Not unless it's within the margins of the race." Unzen said.

"Well, I didn't see any flags at the edge of this canyon." Emma reasoned. "Not even on the other side."

"That's because no one would wanna fall down here. It's harder to climb back up than it is to go around."

"The whole reason you tried to ride the dragon was 'cause you knew this canyon was part of the course." Perry argued. "So, if the Finish Line is here, then…hey, what about this?" They both looked over his shoulder as Perry pointed at a corner of the canyon, a short distance before Lake Totori. "The areas get lighter in color depending on their height, right? So, these rocks look like they're making a stairway out of the canyon. If we could just get up them, we could make it to the end."

"They're still going to be pretty high steps, y'know." Unzen inferred.

"It should be less exhausting than climbing the steeper cliffs." Emma said. "So, let's give it a shot! By my calculations, the other racers who couldn't cross the bridge only just now reaching the Breach of Demise, and only three more of them were ahead of us. We may just have a shot at the prizes."

"Then no need to stop now!" Perry cheered.

To reserve their stamina, the trio made a light jog down the desolate and mildly damp canyon. The size of the looming cliffs was awe-inspiring to little Perry. For most of his life, he'd only been to Moonbase and other treehouses, which were big enough on their own… but there was something about seeing such huge, natural earth formations that was even greater. "Hey, Emma, are you in the KND, too?"

"Me? No. I'm training to be a Gourmet Hunter."

"What's that?"

"We explore the world in search of neat food. That's why I want that Rock Sirloin. Plus, the race itself is great training."

"Hah, I know! What about you, Unzen? Why're you racing?"

"Man, what is with you?"

"What?"

"I've been trying to sabotage you this whole race. The heck are you acting all sweet to me for?"

"Mmm…" Even Perry wasn't sure about his answer. "I dunno… I guess I felt bad when you hurt yourself."

"You really are a baby."

"Why're you so mean?!"

"Honestly… 'cause I like to draw out peoples' bad sides."

"Huh?"

"Everyone's evil on the inside. No matter who acts like a saint in public, people just act nice so other people will like them. Everyone has darkness and hatred inside. So, when I see people like you acting all sweet and pure… it ticks me off."

"Man, you got issues." Perry said. "I guess we shoulda left you down here, huh?"

"Sorry that we were too nice! Mmmmlll!" Emma stuck her tongue out.

"Puh. Anyway, I don't really care about any of the prizes. I'm just here for the heck of it."

"Well, I bet… you were hoping to make some friends!" Perry grinned.

"What a dork."

The earth quaked, making them stumble into a halt. "What's…" Feeling the source behind them, the three turned. There was a segment of cliff more bulbous than the rest, with two smaller bulbous parts beside it. Those parts emerged from the cliff, the huger boulder walking on a pair of smaller boulder feet.

"It can't be…" Emma gasped. "It's the Tanagar Talus! The guardian of the canyon!"

"It's huge!!" Unzen exclaimed.

"The heck is a Talus?!" Perry asked.

"They're everywhere on Hyrule, dummy! They're rock monsters, but they never get THAT big! RUN!"

The Tanagar Talus raised its right fist and hurdled it with slow, but deadly force. "FIRST COMES ROCK!" Emma shouted, balling her fists as the boulder kept rolling. "Rock, Paper, ROCK!" She swung her fists back, but only with Unzen's help were they able to stop the boulder's path. "Tccchhhh!" The pain in Emma's knuckles was unbearable. They kept running, but the Talus would slam its other fist into the cliff, causing a rockslide. Emma and Unzen were quick and calculating in dodging the falling rubble, but Perry was in too much panic to find options. "PERRY!!" Emma was horrified as the rocks mercilessly fell on top of him…

But after the dust settled, they saw Perry ducking like a turtle, his body small enough to hide under his shield. The rocks bounced off his powerful shield, though he himself just barely learned how it felt to be squished. "A Hylian Shield!" Emma gasped. "Where'd you get that?!"

"Family… heirloom…heh…"

"…" Unzen glared at them both. Not just anybody carried a Hylian Shield. And Emma's art just now… looked like the one his father described.

"Been keeping this in my Infi-Cube!" Perry said as they resumed running. "Kinda slows me down, ya know?"

"I'll bet, huff… I'm worried if we can climb the cliff with this guy on our tail!"

"Actually, Talus are easy once you figure them out." Unzen said. "This one could actually help us!"

They had reached the destined corner of the canyon, the rock formations making a relative stairway up. The Talus threw its fist once more, the kids making a tight right as the stone missed. The Talus would then take time to bend down and reattach the fist. "Talus can throw their boulders pretty high up." Unzen said. "If we could make it throw where we wanted, we could get pretty high up this cliff."

"I know!" Emma beamed. "Perry, if you could get high enough and float with your sail, you could direct the Talus' aim."

"But how do I get up that high?"

"What sail are you talking about?" Unzen asked.

"This one." Perry opened the sail above him.

"Hey, that's perfect! Okay, let's wait for this guy to throw his boulder again, then we'll do it."

They ran to the center of the path to trick the Talus into slamming its boulder down, dashing forward just as it was coming down and surviving its crash opposite from the Talus. Perry raised his sail as Unzen bent down, the ball in his hands. Flipping it up like a catapult, it hit the center of Perry's sail with enough force to bend it in and send it skyward, with him along with it. The ball would eventually drop out as Perry remained aloft. "HEY! Talus guy! Come and get me!"

The Talus reattached its fist as the two clung onto it. It reeled the fist back and hurdled. Emma and Unzen quick-climbed around the stone to stay in view of Perry, who in turn planted his feet to the stone. It reached the apex of its flight, and the three would jump and cling onto Perry's parachute to avoid feeling the impact of its landing. The boulder landed on a high layer of the steps, and after dropping back onto it, Perry borrowed Emma's fishing line and cast it to a higher level. From there, they took turns reeling their selves up.

Meanwhile, having finally crossed the snowy Tabantha Hills, Marathon Man, the Gerudo athlete Dashara, and the Rito ostrich made the final sprint to the finish. "I can't believe I'm about to lose to some silly Postman!"

"Huhuhuhu!" The Postman twisted his head back; his lips were puckered and eyes wide as clown music played from his radio. "I've got tons of letters to deliver to Rito Village. Nothing invigorates me more than delivering mail!"

"You're doing this on the clock?!"

No other traps or monsters were left to stop their progress. The Finish Line was theirs for the taking. "MARATHON MAN COMES IN FIRST PLACE!" Tingle exclaimed. "His record ever unbeatable! Dashara comes in second, and the Rito Trish in third! Meanwhile, the rest of the crowd is just barely crossing the mountain before Tabantha Village. The Deku is using flower propellers to ride a wind gust over the canyon! At this point, 4th place could go to anyone… WHAT'S THIS?!"

A trio of kids came scrambling down the road that would lead to the goal. "Where did those kids come from?! They just appeared out of nowhere, we didn't see them ahead of the other racers! You can't tell me they climbed down and back up Tanagar Canyon?! Is this a miracle of the fairies?!"

"By the way, this is a Mushroomian Super Ball!" Unzen said. "They're super strong and bouncy."

"It sure came in handy!" Emma praised.

"We're almost there, guys! Just hang in there!"

When Perry disappeared off the cameras, Cheren almost feared the race was too much for him… but seeing his miraculous return, with a pair of new friends no less, brought warmth to his heart. The photo finish of the battered and tired trio crossing the goal would be one for the books.

"Huhuhuhu! I have it! I finally have it!" The Postman joyfully raised his prize. "The Unicycle Deluxe!" It was a shiny red unicycle with feathered wings on the seat.

"You picked that dumb thing as your prize?!" Dashara shouted.

"It's the comfiest seat for any Postman on the go." With that, the bunny-hooded man climbed on the thin circus cycle. "Now, onwards to mail! Huhuhuhu!" He zoomed off, honking a clown horn that came with the unicycle.

Emma approached the Supreme Rock Sirloin, a hunk of steaming rocky meat shaped like a muscular, headless torso flexing its arms, and stashed it in her cube. Meanwhile, Perry held the bottle of sparkling Gold Dust with pride. "All you wanted was the bottle of dust?" Unzen remarked. "What, you're gonna sell it to buy new shoes?"

"I guess I do need some…" Perry could see his toes through the peeling soles of his sneakers. "Sigh…anyway, I had a lot of fun racing with you two. Even if you were mean, Unzen."

"You weren't so bad either, shrimp." Unzen said. "But you never told us what sector you were in."

"I, uh…actually, I'll let you two find out!" Perry smiled mischievously. "I bet you'll be surprised!"

"Then I better keep my secrets, too!" Emma grinned. "But I hope we get to meet again someday!"

"Me, too!"

"Alright, I'm leavin' before this gets any more sappy." Unzen said, beginning to leave with his prize, a jar of rare candies. "And I've gotta keep my surprises, too."

"Heheh! I guess we had more in common than we thought." Emma smiled.

"'Guess so. Welp, better go find my dad. Bye, Emma!" Perry marched off with pride.

"Yeah… hope I can find mine soon, too."

Zauz's Island

The work took one extra day until Zauz was finished. Cheren took his son exploring the Phantom Sea before they returned at the estimated time. "It is done." The swordsmith, sensing their arrival, opened the door with an air of pride. "I have finished… reorganizing my magazine cabinet."

"… … …" Cheren glared.

"And your sword is done, too." Zauz knelt and presented the child a red hilt. "On my pride as a Cobble and a swordsmith, I am honored to gift this sword… to the future Hero of Time."

Perry drew the blade. It was longer than his old sword, slightly thinner, and patterned with gold diamonds. It felt light to hold, and he could almost feel the untapped potential inside it. "It's… so cool…"

"Exercise caution. Its sharpness is terrific, and its durability is unparalleled. Some say only a Great Fairy's Sword or a Silver Lynel's can rival it. You're very lucky… and very special to have earned a sword like this."

"I…I never would've won without Emma and Unzen…"

"And that's why you deserve this sword." Cheren said, his and Perry's visage reflected in the blade's diamonds. "A great leader relies on friends… and if you can rely on new friends, even if they're a total jerk, then you're even greater. Remember those two whenever you hold it. Not just them, but that Korok, those Gorons, and the ostrich girl… they were sort of your friends, too."

"Hm…" Smiling, Perry sheathed the blade. "Thanks, Sauce. I'll do my best to use it right."

The smith watched the father and son sail into the twilit horizon. He could almost see the air of destiny around him.