A Shadow of the Past
Sweat dripped from Link's brow as he faced the abomination that stood before him. The thing was a liquidy black color, and the air surrounding it was cold. It was a silhouette of Link. Every move he made, the shadow duplicated exactly. It was as if it was a part of him.
"Who are you?" Link shouted at his attacker. The dark foe said nothing, but instead leapt at Link, sword upraised. Link raised his shield to deflect the blow, but he had been caught off guard. As the jet-black sword sank into Link's flesh, the shadow leaned in close to Link.
"We'll meet again human," the thing hissed. "Sooner than you think."
* * *
Link jolted from his sleep in a cold sweat. "It was only a dream," he whispered to himself.
"Damn it, Link, would you please quit rolling around? I'm trying to sleep here!" Link looked over and saw a rather disgruntled Tetra lying at his side.
"Sorry," he muttered as he climbed out of bed and slipped on his green tunic.
"Now where are you going?" asked Tetra.
"Just getting some fresh air," he answered as he hopped up the stairs leading out of their bedroom.
The light of the full moon hit Link as he walked out onto the deck of the Arrowhead, Tetra's ship. Link looked up and gazed at the stars as he leaned against the rail. It was a cloudless night, and the flag atop the mast was billowing in the gentle breeze. Seeing how bothered Link was, Tetra quietly walked up behind Link and slipped her arms around his waist.
"Link, what's the matter?" she asked gently as she turned him around so he was facing her.
Link sighed as he took Tetra in his arms. Her blond hair gently blew across her face, her gorgeous blue eyes. "She's so beautiful," he thought to himself. "I must be the luckiest guy on the Great Sea." The diamond engagement ring he had given her only two weeks ago glittered in the moonlight.
"Link, would you quit staring at me and answer my question? What's up? You haven't been yourself lately," said Tetra with a hint of worry in her voice.
"Sorry," said Link, snapping out of his daze. "I... I really can't explain it," he stuttered. "It's just a feeling I've been having lately. A sense of foreboding, or something. Like I'm being watched."
"I'm sure it'll be all right, Link," said Tetra, still a little concerned. "Tomorrow we set out for Windfall Island. You can relax there. The change in scenery would do you good."
"You're probably right," sighed Link. "Windfall Island always does seem to have something of an uplifting effect on me."
"Good, then it's decided," said Tetra. "Maybe while we're there, you can help me pick out a wedding dress!"
Link shuddered at the thought of shopping with his fiancé. "Uh, maybe Windfall island wouldn't be such a good idea after all," he said sarcastically.
Tetra laughed. "C'mere you!" she said as she pulled him closer to her. "I think that after all that worrying, you owe me a kiss."
"Sounds fair to me," said Link. He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers.
* * *
Meanwhile, down bellow the deck, Tetra's pirate crew was busy playing a late-night game of cards. "I'll see your 200 rupees, and raise you 300," said Gonzo, the largest of the pirates.
"That's it, I'm over my limit," replied a frustrated Niko. "I'd better get back to lookout duty before Tetra wakes up." All the pirates were hunched over a table in a small, dimly lit room. Aryll, Link's younger sister, was sitting next to Niko and watching the game, trying to learn how to play. She was only twelve years old, but had proven herself to be a hard-working addition to the crew, and she had the pirates' respect.
"You'd better be quick, Niko," she said as Niko hurried up the stairs. "I think I heard my brother going up, and Tetra sticks to him like a magnet these days!"
"Don't remind me," mumbled Gonzo. He had had eyes for Tetra for a long time, and had been more than a little disappointed when Link proposed to her.
The rest of the pirates quickly surrendered their rupees and left the room. Things usually turned ugly when Gonzo's thoughts turned to Link and Tetra. Aryll, however, stayed with Gonzo to try and comfort him. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, Gonzo," she said softly. "There are plenty of other girls out there..."
Suddenly Niko scurried back down the stairs, a look of excitement on his face. "So much for lookout duty tonight!" he panted. "Link and Tetra are out there kissing, and they were so preoccupied that Tetra didn't even notice me!" Niko pulled up his chair and propped his stubby legs up on the table. "Aren't those two romantic?"
"Shut up, Niko," muttered Gonzo. Though Niko was kindhearted and brave, one of his less admirable traits was that he just didn't know when to shut his mouth.
"I remember when the slightest glance from Tetra would make you blush," said Niko. "Too bad Link came along, huh? Those two fell for each other faster then cannon balls falling from a crow's nest!"
"I'm warning you, Niko," growled Gonzo. Aryll only giggled.
"You shouldn't feel too bad, though, buddy," continued Niko. "I don't think Tetra ever really liked you much anyways."
"That does it!" grunted Gonzo. With one quick motion he scooped up Niko and chucked him out of a porthole.
* * *
"Feeling better yet?" Tetra asked after her lips finally separated from Link's.
"Much," said Link, still holding Tetra in his lovingly in his arms.
"Eeeyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaa!" A screech followed by a loud splash shattered the calm night air.
Tetra let out a long sigh. "I'll handle this. I am the captain, after all," she said. "You go on back to bed. I'll be there shortly."
"Alright," replied Link. "Don't be too hard on them." As he headed back down below, Link's thoughts turned to his dream. "Just what was that thing?" he wondered. It felt as if Link had met it before. Link's body turned cold at the memory of the dark sword cutting into him.
His thoughts were interrupted by Tetra's shouting. "Niko! Get your ass out of the water and get up here on lookout duty! Gonzo! What have I told you abut throwing people off the ship? And Aryll, you should be in bed! It's past two o'clock!"
Link chuckled "Oh well," he thought as he flopped onto the bed. "Tetra's probably right. It's nothing but a dream."
Sweat dripped from Link's brow as he faced the abomination that stood before him. The thing was a liquidy black color, and the air surrounding it was cold. It was a silhouette of Link. Every move he made, the shadow duplicated exactly. It was as if it was a part of him.
"Who are you?" Link shouted at his attacker. The dark foe said nothing, but instead leapt at Link, sword upraised. Link raised his shield to deflect the blow, but he had been caught off guard. As the jet-black sword sank into Link's flesh, the shadow leaned in close to Link.
"We'll meet again human," the thing hissed. "Sooner than you think."
* * *
Link jolted from his sleep in a cold sweat. "It was only a dream," he whispered to himself.
"Damn it, Link, would you please quit rolling around? I'm trying to sleep here!" Link looked over and saw a rather disgruntled Tetra lying at his side.
"Sorry," he muttered as he climbed out of bed and slipped on his green tunic.
"Now where are you going?" asked Tetra.
"Just getting some fresh air," he answered as he hopped up the stairs leading out of their bedroom.
The light of the full moon hit Link as he walked out onto the deck of the Arrowhead, Tetra's ship. Link looked up and gazed at the stars as he leaned against the rail. It was a cloudless night, and the flag atop the mast was billowing in the gentle breeze. Seeing how bothered Link was, Tetra quietly walked up behind Link and slipped her arms around his waist.
"Link, what's the matter?" she asked gently as she turned him around so he was facing her.
Link sighed as he took Tetra in his arms. Her blond hair gently blew across her face, her gorgeous blue eyes. "She's so beautiful," he thought to himself. "I must be the luckiest guy on the Great Sea." The diamond engagement ring he had given her only two weeks ago glittered in the moonlight.
"Link, would you quit staring at me and answer my question? What's up? You haven't been yourself lately," said Tetra with a hint of worry in her voice.
"Sorry," said Link, snapping out of his daze. "I... I really can't explain it," he stuttered. "It's just a feeling I've been having lately. A sense of foreboding, or something. Like I'm being watched."
"I'm sure it'll be all right, Link," said Tetra, still a little concerned. "Tomorrow we set out for Windfall Island. You can relax there. The change in scenery would do you good."
"You're probably right," sighed Link. "Windfall Island always does seem to have something of an uplifting effect on me."
"Good, then it's decided," said Tetra. "Maybe while we're there, you can help me pick out a wedding dress!"
Link shuddered at the thought of shopping with his fiancé. "Uh, maybe Windfall island wouldn't be such a good idea after all," he said sarcastically.
Tetra laughed. "C'mere you!" she said as she pulled him closer to her. "I think that after all that worrying, you owe me a kiss."
"Sounds fair to me," said Link. He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers.
* * *
Meanwhile, down bellow the deck, Tetra's pirate crew was busy playing a late-night game of cards. "I'll see your 200 rupees, and raise you 300," said Gonzo, the largest of the pirates.
"That's it, I'm over my limit," replied a frustrated Niko. "I'd better get back to lookout duty before Tetra wakes up." All the pirates were hunched over a table in a small, dimly lit room. Aryll, Link's younger sister, was sitting next to Niko and watching the game, trying to learn how to play. She was only twelve years old, but had proven herself to be a hard-working addition to the crew, and she had the pirates' respect.
"You'd better be quick, Niko," she said as Niko hurried up the stairs. "I think I heard my brother going up, and Tetra sticks to him like a magnet these days!"
"Don't remind me," mumbled Gonzo. He had had eyes for Tetra for a long time, and had been more than a little disappointed when Link proposed to her.
The rest of the pirates quickly surrendered their rupees and left the room. Things usually turned ugly when Gonzo's thoughts turned to Link and Tetra. Aryll, however, stayed with Gonzo to try and comfort him. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, Gonzo," she said softly. "There are plenty of other girls out there..."
Suddenly Niko scurried back down the stairs, a look of excitement on his face. "So much for lookout duty tonight!" he panted. "Link and Tetra are out there kissing, and they were so preoccupied that Tetra didn't even notice me!" Niko pulled up his chair and propped his stubby legs up on the table. "Aren't those two romantic?"
"Shut up, Niko," muttered Gonzo. Though Niko was kindhearted and brave, one of his less admirable traits was that he just didn't know when to shut his mouth.
"I remember when the slightest glance from Tetra would make you blush," said Niko. "Too bad Link came along, huh? Those two fell for each other faster then cannon balls falling from a crow's nest!"
"I'm warning you, Niko," growled Gonzo. Aryll only giggled.
"You shouldn't feel too bad, though, buddy," continued Niko. "I don't think Tetra ever really liked you much anyways."
"That does it!" grunted Gonzo. With one quick motion he scooped up Niko and chucked him out of a porthole.
* * *
"Feeling better yet?" Tetra asked after her lips finally separated from Link's.
"Much," said Link, still holding Tetra in his lovingly in his arms.
"Eeeyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaa!" A screech followed by a loud splash shattered the calm night air.
Tetra let out a long sigh. "I'll handle this. I am the captain, after all," she said. "You go on back to bed. I'll be there shortly."
"Alright," replied Link. "Don't be too hard on them." As he headed back down below, Link's thoughts turned to his dream. "Just what was that thing?" he wondered. It felt as if Link had met it before. Link's body turned cold at the memory of the dark sword cutting into him.
His thoughts were interrupted by Tetra's shouting. "Niko! Get your ass out of the water and get up here on lookout duty! Gonzo! What have I told you abut throwing people off the ship? And Aryll, you should be in bed! It's past two o'clock!"
Link chuckled "Oh well," he thought as he flopped onto the bed. "Tetra's probably right. It's nothing but a dream."