Disclaimer: I don't own.

Badge was certainly helpful. Not that Link was about to admit it to him. Morpha wasn't the slightest bit of trouble. Big blob of goo, clogging up the water works that was all there was to him. Badge took him out in five slices. Link watched him do it too; something he had not expected to be able to do. Badge's skills were honed as any soldiers. The efficiency of his movements showed that he knew what he was doing and even planned out his attacks like he knew all along what he was taking down.

By this time they were outside on the small island above the water temple. Lake Hylia had been restored almost instantaneously.

"Alright! The blob is taken care of! On to Ganon! I'm gonna kill that sneaky son-of-a-bitch if it's the last thing I do!" He shouted to the world, hands on his, no, Link's hips. Navi had never seen Link act like that and it unnerved her quite a bit.

"L-Link??"

"Nope! Badge. Link in here and just fine, so there's no worries!" He replied with a smirk.

"Let him go." Navi said sternly

"Nuh-Uh."

"(Humph) We're not going to be able to get to Ganon for awhile yet! Let. Him. Go!"

Navi spoke to him as she would a child teasing a small animal. She was annoyed to say the least. She had grown out of the idea of looking out for a child ever since Link became an adult 'seven years ago'

"Fine!" Badge said in an irritated, almost childish, tone. He closed hi green eyes and let Link take over again. Link fell to one knee, gasping for breath as his own lungs were returned to him.

"Link? Are you ok?" Navi asked in a patient tone.

"I think so…" This was partly true. Though in all honesty, he felt off. He didn't exactly feel invaded, rather he felt like there was always someone there with him even when he didn't want them there, like an obnoxious kid that wouldn't leave him alone.

Hearing those three little words of confirmation, she let loose all her frustration.

"Good! I'm glad! That 'Badge' character's irritates me!! He's rude, and flat out scary in a fight! Did you see him? What's with him anyway?! He's chomping at the bit to kill Ganon. What happened to him to make him like that?! And another thing….."

Link wasn't listening anymore. His attention swerved upward. There was someone up in the tree.

"Shiek!!"

Shiek flipped gracefully of the tree top and landed in front of them.

"Link, I'm glad to see you've made it. I can see Hyrule turning back to its rightful state little by little thanks to your brave deeds."

"Um, no problem…" Link felt himself begin to blush just the slightest bit. However for the life of him he couldn't say why.

"Please come to Kakariko Village. The next sage is there."

"Ok… see you there, then."

With that, Sheik vanished in a cloud of smoke.

("Who's the she-male?")

"Lay off! He has a delicate figure that's all!"

("You sure? If I didn't know better I'd say 'he' was a female".)

"Yeah well, he's not."

("DUDE LOOKS LIKE A LA-DY!!")

"SHUT UP!!"

"Link? Why are you talking to yourself?"

"because this job's finally pushed me off the edge! Come on! Kakariko village isn't getting any closer while we just stand here!! Link stomped off in the direction of Kakariko.

("You were blushing too! Gee Link, didn't know you swung that way would explain the skir--")

"IT'S NOT A SKIRT!! EPONA!!!"

It was the first time Epona ever came without being whistled for.

It took them a week to cross the near desolate field.

They hadn't even reached the Village when they saw smoke climbing in the sky.

Link leaped off of Epona and ran up the stairs. He kept thinking about how he found Hyrule Castle town. All the re-deads, infesting the place like the plague. Kakariko itself was practically made up of the survivors who escaped castle town.

"I hope everyone's alright!" Link muttered to himself.

He ran through the village, hoping to find someone alive. He only found Shiek standing in front of the well at the far end.

"Get back Link!" His serious tone of voice made Link freeze in his tracks.

"There is a restless evil in here. It broke the seal on the well and festered throughout the village. This is the thing that attacked and set the place aflame!"

A low guttural growl came from the old stone well seconds before a dense black shadow roared through the wooden cover, and charged strait for Link. Shiek blocked its path only to be attacked himself. Link watched helplessly as the thing pulled him high above the ground and proceeded to break every bone in his body.

"Let go of him!! Hey!! Over here! I said let go!!"

The black shadow dropped Shiek none too gently, on the floor and went after Link once more. Suddenly Link couldn't see anything, but felt like he was being ripped apart by wolfos; then felt nothing.

--------------------------------------------

His vision soon fizzled back into focus. It was raining. The fires were mostly put out. Shiek was watching over him.

"You're awake. Good I was getting concerned."

"But what about you? I thought you were hurt worse! How are you still alive?"

"Impa healed me then went down there." He said pointing to the well.

"She plans to seal the evil back in the well, but she'll need your help. The evil came from the Shadow temple."

"Ok. Just point me in which direction I need to go."

"My-my, you're so eager to help. The shadow temple lies just above the graveyard. This is the gate-way to the land of the dead. You'll need to play this song in order to even get in….."