Whew. That one took forever. Seriously, though, I feel awful in keeping you guys waiting for so long. College, writer's block on Breakpoint (my other story), and even a little Halo 4 are what held me back on this one. I always finish what I start, though. Again, it is best to check my profile for updates on my stories, and I appreciate everyone's patience and support so far. You guys are awesome!

Thanks Sokka-Mushroom, Sir Pudding, Fer Diaz, Juli, and Sonic for reviewing the last chapter. Hopefully this one proves to be equally enjoyable.

I also want to make it a point that not everything will be as it was in the game in this story, and some embellishments have been made here and there. Inspiration comes in spurts, after all. This chapter might be a bit darker because of it, but I'm satisfied with the result as it is right now.

EDIT: Also, I'm posting this at 2:30 a.m. on 11/22, so Happy Thanksgiving to all those in the U.S.! For everyone else, enjoy your Thursday!

Second EDIT: This chapter was last modified 11/23/12

Chapter 4: Faron Woods

Link wandered through the woods with sword in hand, ready for the monsters that lay within. The chainmail that he now wore underneath the Hero's tunic was snug, but not uncomfortable. What was discomforting was the warmth that he now felt. Sure, as a wolf he had been a little warm, but as he was used to the light casual clothing that was worn in the village the three layers of cloth and steel stood in stark contrast to what he wore now. In fact, in his jubilation of being a human again, he hadn't even voiced the question of how he had come to wear it. Probably magic.

There were fewer noises that he could detect as a human than as a wolf, but that thankfully meant that he had fewer conversations to listen to as well. The small discussions from the squirrels and birds still unnerved him a little, and the fact that the animals had intelligence that was greater than anyone could have ever guessed also left him wondering what else they could have been hiding from him. Even Epona could have been talking about him, and the goats probably cursed at them as he herded them into—

"Hey! Wolf boy! Your friends aren't going to save themselves!" his shadow voiced suddenly, disrupting his thoughts.

And there was her as well. "Getting there, Midna. It takes a while to move through these woods," he said with a frown, ducking under a low hanging branch from one of the thousands of pine trees that were in the forest.

"Well, move faster!" she ordered, her ever watchful crimson eye looking up at him. I'm still not used to that yet, he thought with a bit of a shiver, and continued to crunch through the fallen sticks and pine needles.

The path to the temple was the same, but with the clear daylight shining through the canopy of the trees and the well-lit clearing that they found themselves in made the forest far less alien than when it had been covered in twilight. No longer were the tall pines that surrounded him in the narrow path bathed in an unnatural orange and golden glow, the winding dirt path beneath his feet no longer full of long shadows without sources.

In fact, he thought as he stepped around a small boulder and was confronted with a fork in the road, the walk to the temple could be almost peaceful. Almost. Link looked from left to right, the left containing the rocky outcrop of the cave's entrance that led deeper into the forest, where he had chased after Talo before. He couldn't deny that there was still a sense of foreboding that hung in the air, bearing down on the otherwise sun-filled woods. The bulbins still stalked the forest, after all, and there were probably some monsters that—

A sudden snapping sound to his left caught his attention, coming from the cave. No sounds came from his right, where the path led off into a clearing… and apparent safety. He wasn't sure what animal made that noise, but what gave him pause was the heavy rustling of leaves and vegetation. Deku babas.

Link shuddered at the thought of the carnivorous plants. Nearly five feet tall and capable of swallowing a squirrel whole, the "plants" were notorious for catching the unwary traveler off guard, as they would pretend to simply be a collection of vines until it was too late. The fact that they had a mouth full of acid and razor sharp teeth only added to the horror that could be conjured up in stories around the fireside. The plants were supposed to be a rare sight, and only found deep in the older parts of the forest. Or at least, they should have been deeper. Just goes to show that the forest is getting more dangerous, he thought.

Link hesitated outside the mouth of the cavern for a moment, trying to work up the courage to enter. The tunnel appeared to be pitch black, and he had no light source on hand to speak of.

"What's the matter, afraid of the dark?" Midna asked with a cruel smile, picking up on his trepidation as she materialized.

He shook his head. "More of what's in it, Midna. There's no way I'm going in there without a torch or a light. Not if I want to make it out alive, anyway… and I do," he said quickly, after seeing Midna's eyes light up with another grin of hers.

"Just remember that the longer you wait here, the longer your friends are in danger," she said, her grin turning into a smirk. "No pressure!" she giggled as she ducked back into his shadow.

Scowling at her barb, Link turned from the mouth of the cave and ventured to the right this time, following the path into another clearing in the forest. He didn't want to show it, but he was worried. Midna was right, after all, and that only made her comment more annoying. Rusl and Uli had taught him "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." Where were her parents in teaching her that? he thought. Come to think of it, I don't even really know who or what Midna really is, other than that she's from the Twilight. Does she even have parents?

Why do you even care? Another voice said in his head. It's not like she's concerned about who you are or what you're doing here. All she wants is that power in the temple. His thoughts divided, he finally just let the notion drop, continuing the walk in silence.

Just then, a small hut came into view, sitting just on the edge of the clearing. A cooking fire sat outside, still burning from when whoever made it. The hut was a simple building made of sticks and clay, and a few pots and baskets lay about. Cautiously, Link ventured forward sword in hand, his shield strapped to his left arm as he readied his blade with his right. It was possible that whoever lived here was just inside, or they had left after the monsters started showing up. With the fire still lit, however, he was hoping it was the former.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Link called out, lowering his sword as he did so. "I'm looking to go through the caves to get to the temple, and could use a torch to light my way, if you have any."

Silence greeted him, only broken by the wind in the trees and the occasional bird call. With a sigh, Link walked over to the fire, strapping his shield back on over his shoulders as he moved to grab a stick to light.

He stopped short of putting the stick in the fire. Right next to the campfire was a log with several lanterns that sat in a small pile, along with a cauldron of an oily substance. Lantern oil, he thought. This would be perfect.

Looking around for the owner one more time, Link stooped to grab a lantern from the pile.

"I'm just going to borrow one of your lanterns to get through the— "

"Did you say lanterns?"

"Nayru's love!" Link swore as he jumped back, his sword ready to strike at the sudden voice. A man sat up groggily from behind the log, a comical amount of sticks and leaves in his afro as he looked at Link through barely opened eyes. His heart-rate returning to normal, Link lowered his sword as he stared pensively at the man, not sure of his intent.

"What were you doing back there?" Link asked, honestly curious.

"Oh… I was taking a nap. Felt kinda stressed out after those bugs were around, you know? So I came out here to cook up some soup, and just sort of fell asleep on the log… or at least, I was on the log." the man said as he looked around, scratching his head.

Link put his blade back in its sheath as he stepped forward, reaching over to shake his hand. "I'm Link. Sorry if I gave you a bit of a scare, there. I wasn't expecting that."

"Hey, it's all good. Name's Coro." he said, meeting his handshake. "You mentioned something about lanterns?"

"Yes. I was planning on heading to the temple, and was wondering if—"

"Hang on. You said you were going to the temple? There are monsters all over that part of the woods!" Coro exclaimed.

"I know," Link said patiently. "That's why I'm going there. My friends were captured by them, and I think they might have been taken there."

"Well, good luck to you, guy! And hey, you're going to need this." he said as he handed him a lantern. "Been giving away free lanterns to try to drum up business. I sell lantern oil, you see. Bunch of the locals have paid me a visit or two, but not so much since the woods got rough."

"Seeing as you're headed that way, though…" he continued. "…you should probably take some extra oil as well. Now, I'm not usually one to part with merchandise, you know, but if you're able to kill those monsters and make the forest safer, then you then you deserve it."

Coro procured a small bottle, dipping it in the lantern oil first before handing it to Link. "Just be sure to send some business my way, yeah? I won't be able to give handouts to just every guy who wants to save the forest."

"Well… thank you!" Link said, taken aback by his generosity. "When I get my friends out safely, I'll be sure to spread the word. Thanks!"

"No problem, man," Coro said with a lazy wave. "Take it easy!"

Turning back to the path with the lantern and oil in hand, he gave Coro a wave in return before heading off.

"Free stuff is always good." Midna said from his shadow. "Mr. Hero finally has a little light to go through the scary tunnel. Are you happy now?"

Link rolled his eyes. "As ready as you can be to go into a dark tunnel. Full of man-eating deku-babas." He took a deep breath, steadying himself before the cave's entrance. There was a chance that he wouldn't even reach the temple, after all. But what kind of hero would he be if that happened?

Link set down the lantern and struck some flint into the oil. A flame sprang forth immediately, its warm glow illuminating the area.

No, the Goddesses wouldn't let their hero fall to a few monsters in a forest.

Attaching the lantern to his belt, Link ventured into the darkness of the tunnel before him, determined to reach his destination.

The caves were not as foreboding as he thought they would be, given the circumstances. Some keese were flying about, and a few rats squeaked in the corners here and there, but for the most part the wooden steps in the cave floor were as they had been when he chased after Talo. That is, aside from the lack of lit torch sconces and the more dangerous monsters that lurked.

If he hadn't been so confident in getting to the temple, he wasn't sure how anyone would have set foot in the cave, given the sheer intensity of the noise from its depths.

Deku babas grew up from wherever they could put down their roots, it seemed, and the cave was filled with the chattering of their teeth as they tried to snap at the rats and bats from the floor, the walls, and even hanging down from the ceiling. In the lantern's light, he had been able to see the blue-bodied carnivorous plants clearly, and thanked Din that he hadn't encountered any of the larger kinds. Most of the monsters were only around two feet tall, but some reached nearly twice that length, with a maw as big as a cucco.

A few of them had even popped up right in front of him, startling him when his focus was on the rest of his surroundings. His saving grace was that the plants were limited by their stalks, and could only reach as far as they were long. Whenever they struck out at him, he simply slashed at their mouth, cutting their stems as they recoiled from the blow.

I don't want to do that again, he thought with a shudder. Even though I made it through unharmed, I never want to do that again.

He was still breathing heavy as he sat down at the cave's exit, with Midna ranting on about something he wasn't really listening to.

"…I thought that you might have some kind of sword training, seeing as must have killed some of these things before. And after I worked so hard to get you that sword and shield, too! After all that, you just get through the cave on your own luck? Because I don't think what you were doing was too skilled for a—"

"Midna. Stop." Link interrupted, tired of it all.

She floated up from his shadow, her hands on her hips as she glared at him.

"What?" she asked heatedly, her visible eye narrowed to a dangerous slit.

He sighed. "I'm not in the mood to argue right now. I wasn't doing too well back there, I know, but—"

"Yeah, yeah. You almost got yourself killed, it's a big deal. A dead hero isn't of any use to anybody, you know." She said, cutting him off. "I don't think you should be interrupting me, wolf boy. I may not be able to interact with you physically in this world of yours, but there are still plenty of other places in your land that are covered in twilight, and you'll get to deal with me then." Midna gave him another of her grins, her left eye widening from anger to mischievous mirth. "And I'm looking forward to it."

"You know we'd probably get to the temple faster if you weren't teasing me the whole time," Link said as he stood up, trying to ignore her last statement as he stretched.

"Now where would the fun in that be?" she asked rhetorically, and flew back into his shadow with a giggle, leaving him to his thoughts.

Link surveyed his surroundings, his lantern still at his hip. Its weight suggested it had about half of the fuel left in it, but it would probably last another hour or so at least. Unless he dropped it, of course.

He came upon the same foggy field that he had gotten around as a wolf, hunting the insects that had stolen Faron's light. The canopy of trees left the forest floor dark and shaded, and the violet fog continued to billow around beneath them, unnatural as ever. The difference this time was that he was a human now, and they weren't in the twilight for Midna to help him anymore. Looks like the only way to get to the temple now would be to go through it, he thought. Great.

He approached the field gingerly, taking his lantern in his left hand while he had his sword in his right. The fog almost seemed to react to the lantern's light, receding slightly as he walked forward. Interesting.

He took another few steps forward, and the fog receded another few paces, only wherever the light reached strongly enough. Whatever the fog was, it was definitely of twilit origin, and did not like the light one bit.

He was about to take another step when he was suddenly knocked to the ground, something landing on top of him from above. The lantern and sword fell from his hands, and whatever was on top of him left as soon as it had landed, getting off of his back. Getting up as quickly as he could, he looked for the assailant and his weapon, getting his shield out to protect himself. It wasn't much, but at least he could still defend against whatever it was.

A monkey, the same monkey that he'd saved the other day, held his lantern high upon a stick, barking and beckoning to him. "Oh, come on," he said exasperatedly. The monkey simply beckoned him to follow it, getting a rise out of Midna as well.

"What, you're just going to stand there? That monkey took your lantern. Follow her!" she commanded, urging him forward. As soon as he moved, the monkey dashed into the fog, the lantern visible as it waved back and forth on the stick. Instead of moving in a straight line to the other side, the monkey was sporadic, jumping onto tree roots and over rocks as it moved, barely pausing at times to make sure that he was following. Link tried to stay in the light of the lantern, but with the gear that he wore and the sword that he had in his hand, he was slowly falling behind in his chase of the nimble monkey, falling a little further back into the fog with every bound she made.

"Hey, monkey! Wait up!" he called out, only to realize that he was trying to talk to a monkey as a human. He would have laughed at his stupidity if he wasn't so out of breath.

He could barely see the lantern in the distance as he breathed heavily, drawing more and more on the foggy air. He began to feel lightheaded as the fog steadily clouded his vision, but he had to keep moving towards the light. If he didn't, he could… he could…

Tch-tch-tch-tch-at-at-atatatata!

Link whirled, looking for the source of the noise. "Deku babas," he groaned. "They could be anywhere in here—"

Shhh. Shhh. Shhh.

A club was being drug along the ground. Bulbins, too, he thought worriedly. How will I be able to see them?

The sounds seemed to be coming from all over. He could no longer see where he was going, only the dark violet fog that clouded his vision. He felt himself slowing down, searching for the sources of the sounds as his heartbeat drummed in his ears. He thought he heard Midna say something, but was too unfocused to care. Fear dominated his mind as he felt his leg muscles grow stiff, helpless to keep up with the tiny light in the distance.

Do not be afraid, a quiet voice said in his mind. You are safe here. Lie down and be at peace. Embrace the warmth of the darkness.

Link felt his eyelids get heavy, the paranoia dissipating as his legs unfroze, relaxing to the point of giving out. Someone was yelling in the distance, but he just felt so good. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so carefree.

Everything will be all right. You do not have to leave just yet, do you? You could use some rest. Just lie down and be at peace.

Link sunk to his knees, barely able to keep his head up. Where was he going again? Where was he before? It was just so nice here. It must not be important if I can't remember, he thought. I guess I could wait a little while, just to take a nap here.

He wasn't sure why he was struggling to begin with. He deserved the rest, didn't he? After all, he was the one who saved the forest from the twilight. Just a few moments here couldn't hurt.

Give in to your body's needs. Relax, and bask in the warmth of—

A small object flew in front of him before it was struck with a black bolt of energy. Light flooded the area, the voice that had been gently lulling him shrieking in pain. Flames licked the ground as the spare oil he had spread in a pool, the fog almost jerking back from the sudden light source. The three triangles on his hand were glowing as brightly as they had when he'd first entered the Twilight, and Midna's shouts suddenly rang in his ears as he felt himself rushing back into reality.

"GET MOVING!" she screamed at him. "That fire won't last long. GO!"

His muscles weak, he lifted himself up off of the ground, sprinting through the empty field as his very life depended on it. He was terrified of how he had felt so powerless to whatever the fog was, and how he gave in so easily to its deception. The burning oil left a clear swath of land to the other side, but the fog was slowly creeping back in. He had maybe thirty seconds or so to run a hundred paces, which he would have done easily were it not for how drained he felt.

"Link, help! I'm lost!" he heard a voice to his left. Colin. He couldn't be here in this fog, could he?

"No, go away! Someone do something!" he heard Ilia scream.

Link couldn't keep going as he was. His muscles felt as if they were made of molasses, and he felt the fog's illusions beginning to creep in again, this time in the form of the cries of the children. Unless they were actually the cries of the children, and they were somewhere lost in the—

"No!" He shouted, fighting against his thoughts. "I know what this is! Be gone, demon! I'll not fall for your tricks!"

Give yourself to the darkness, the fog demanded. Be at peace—

The fiercely glowing mark on his hand burst forth in a blinding light, striking out at the fog that threatened to close in on him. Another shriek ran through his mind, although it sounded far louder this time. The fog almost lifted entirely, and there were no more voices or noises that clouded his thoughts. His lantern sat glowing at the top of the small hill, right before the gates that led off towards the temple. If only I'd been able to keep up with that monkey.

Breathless, he reached the top of the small hill, leaning over on to his knees as he gulped for air. Midna leapt from his shadow, her eye flashing lividly.

"You idiot! You've almost been killed twice so far, and we haven't even reached the temple yet! Do you have any idea how close you were to letting that wraith get to you?"

"Wha… what's a… a wraith?" Link panted, trying to slow his breathing.

"A phantom from the Twilight that tricks and charms its victims through illusions… and then they are never heard from again." Even in her shadowy form he could see her frowning and glaring at him in disapproval. "I swear, it's as if you wanted to get taken by that thing! If I hadn't stepped in and thrown that oil of yours, then you probably would have curled up asleep right then!"

"Wait… that was you?" he asked, almost shocked. "I thought that… that you couldn't interact… with this world physically."

Her gaze softened slightly. "I can still use my magic, even if it is more draining on me here. And those Goddesses of yours seem to be helping, too. The fire hurt the wraith, but that blessing of yours was what did it in."

"So… it's dead?" he asked, hoping for the answer to be yes. He didn't know if he could go through that experience again, and come out sane. And this was the only way back from the temple, anyway.

"See for yourself." Midna pointed over her shoulder to the clearing, now clear of the fog that had blanketed the forest floor. A light mist remained, no longer the poisonous looking violet that it had been. He was almost hoping to see Ilia or Colin in the clearing, after hearing their voices in the fog. Then again, if they had been in his situation, too…

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "Midna, you saved my life. Again. I… thank you."

She rolled her visible eye. "Just don't make it a habit, all right? You're supposed to be the hero here, remember?" Midna floated back in the direction of where they needed to go. "Besides, I still need your help. It'd be a while if I had to wait for the next 'hero chosen by the Goddesses,' you know."

Link grunted as he stood up to his full height. "I'll take that as a compliment." Walking over to his still lit lantern, Link snuffed out the flame to preserve what oil was left. "We might have another twenty minutes of fuel left in this thing."

"I doubt there's just going to be lit torches throughout the temple that no human's been in for probably a few decades." Midna scoffed. "You might want to set some things on fire if you get the chance. You know, for the light?" she amended quickly. "I mean, I wouldn't mind, but if you go sloshing burning oil around in a temple that's largely made of wood, you might not get to where you need to go, you know?"

Link gave a small smile at her assessment. "Well, at least I'm not trudging around in a fog that kills you. Shall we?"

"Here I thought we stay around here forever. Get a move on, Mr. Hero!"

Walking on through the gate, Link shuffled his gear and tried to calm his nerves, glad to be out of the darker part of the forest. He was still shaken from his experience, but at least he was alive.

The next clearing had a lot fewer trees, which also let in a considerable amount of light. It was around mid-afternoon at this point, but even so, Link felt fatigued. There wasn't really a way to keep track of time when the forest canopy is thick enough to blot out the sun, but after getting through the night as a wolf, entering the twilight, and now reaching the temple, it had to have been close to twenty hours at this point. The fact that he was running on adrenaline for much of that time didn't help.

Yawning, he walked on, taking a moment to enjoy the sunshine that he had at one point worried he would never see again. No deku babas were growing in the sunlight here, and those that he could hear seemed far off in the distance. That fog, the wraith, had promised warmth and peace? This was far more peaceful that those illusions could ever be.

Still, he was left wanting for more than just his thoughts, and his only companion was the twilit creature that was hiding in his shadow. Only bringing up his original questions of who she was, and why did he care? Well, it makes for some conversation, damn it, he thought. If she doesn't say anything about it, then I've at least satisfied my curiosity.

"Hey, um… Midna?" he asked. His shadow rose from the ground suddenly, materializing into Midna's shadowy and glaring form.

"What is it now? Do you need me to hold your hand? Save you from the scary ladybugs?" she asked sarcastically.

"I was actually wondering if you wanted to… talk for a bit?"

Midna blinked, her sarcasm turning to confusion. "What's this about?"

"I'm just looking for conversation. You know, like friends do?"

She gave him a pensive stare. "And you think that we're friends?"

"Ouch," Link said with a frown. "I'd consider us acquaintances, at least. And you did save my life. Twice."

"So what?" she scoffed. "I just need you to get me what I need. Beyond that, you're just my servant, remember?"

"Well, excuse me, princess." Link said exasperatedly, throwing up his hands as he brushed past her.

Midna was in front of him in a flash, searching his face. Her features changed from shock and… fear, even?… to one of barely contained rage.

"Do not… insult… me… she said through clenched teeth, her right fang clearly visible even as a shadow. "You don't know who I am. You have no idea what I can do to you. Don't push your luck, wolf boy."

"Well, why don't we start there then, huh? I don't know who you are. Care to let me know?" he asked pointedly, his own anger flaring up.

"Someone who you shouldn't make an enemy out of. Beyond that, you don't need to know," she said with a hiss.

"Fine. Be that way," he retorted, stomping forward again with a huff. She floated by his side, still glaring at him with her fists clenched. Honestly, why did you think that was a good idea? he asked himself. All you managed to do was get yourselves pis—

He stopped his thought short as he saw the temple path leading to the tree that the temple was inside of. The great tree, thought to be a deku tree, was said to be hollowed out for past rituals, and the dekus of the forest used to worship inside of it. The branches were massive, probably reaching several hundred feet into the air, and the trunk itself was nearly as wide. It was not the tree's majesty that gave him pause, however.

A wolf, golden in color, sat at the base of the path that led to the tree. And it was growling at him.

He drew his shield and sword, ready to fend off the apparent guardian. Midna still floated at his side, perplexed at his movement.

"What, you see a squirrel or something? You know that I can't be hurt by your weapons—"

"Midna. There's a wolf in front of us." He said, shield raised. The wolf approached him slowly, walking into the clearing and beginning to circle around him.

She looked in the direction he was looking, her expression unchanged. "I don't see anything. That wraith of yours still messing you up?"

"Can't you see it? It's trying to circle us, right- Goddesses!" He cried as the wolf leapt into the air, his sword extended towards it as he protected himself with the shield. The impact never came, as he suddenly felt himself pulled away from the clearing as if he was being warped.

Lowering the shield from his face, he found himself in a misty field, an almost ghostly white light illuminating his surroundings. Where am I now? he wondered, clueless as to what was going on. The complete stillness was what unsettled him, though. It was so silent that his own breathing seemed loud… until he heard the wolf's breathing behind him.

He whirled around, sword in hand… and was now facing some… undead warrior, its ancient armor cracked and broken as it stared at him from one glowing red eye, the other dim in the skull's socket. Whatever the spirit was, it seemed to appraise him for a moment, looking him up and down. Behind it stood a castle of some kind, looking very similar to what he imagined Hyrule Castle to look like. Where is this? Am I dead?

The monster readied itself, taking a defensive stance.

Link was having a strange day, but he was damned if he would die to this thing after he had just gotten to the temple. With sword raised, he wordlessly ran at his opponent, attempting to strike at the monsters head—

The skeleton deflected his blow with its shield, knocking him back with a kick and then smashing its shield into his stomach hard enough to throw him into the air.

Link landed hard on his back, gasping as he got the wind knocked out of him. He shut his eyes at the inevitable strike to follow… only for it to never come. An almost disappointed voice reached his ears, hard and commanding.

"A sword has no strength unless the hand who wields it has courage." The voice said, coming from the direction of the skeleton. "You may be destined to become the hero of legend… but your current power would disgrace the proud green of the hero's tunic you wear."

Link glared at the skeleton. Who was this skeleton to say that against him? Sure, he wasn't that skilled in using a sword, but he was one of the best swordsmen in Ordon. As if that means anything, apparently. He stood back up gingerly, no longer on the defensive.

"You must use your courage to seek power… and find it you must. Only then will you become the hero for whom this world despairs." the skeleton intoned, its jaw moving in tandem with its words. "If you do find true courage, and you wish to save Hyrule from the horrors it now faces… only then will you be worthy of the teachings I shall pass on."

The skeleton strode over, indicating for him to do the same. This was no ordinary spirit he was dealing with, it seemed. And if it wanted to help him, all the better.

"In fighting your opponent, you must seek out the weaknesses in his position. A poorly handled sword, or ill-fitted armor that will hinder his movement. But when you do have them at an advantage, never hesitate. Finish them before they have a chance to strike back, and show no mercy." The skeleton nodded towards him, shuffling its apparel. "Now then, come at me."

The skeleton raised its sword ritualistically, waiting for Link's response. "Ancient duelists used to cross their swords before battle," Rusl once said to him. Well, can't hurt to try.

Raising his sword as well, Link raised his sword in the same style, swinging forth at the same time as the spirit. Their blades clashed with a distinctive cling!, signifying the start of the duel. The skeleton leapt back into a defensive position as it had for their first encounter, but this time its stance seemed different. It looked as though its shield was not protecting enough of its chest-plate, and its sword did not seem held in the same way as it had been.

Striking forward, Link drove his blade towards the skeleton's side, causing it to get knocked backwards in a daze. He struck out again, and it fell back in a heap, just as he had been before the fight.

Show no mercy, the skeleton had said. Jumping into the air, he drove his sword into the spirit's abdomen, causing it to flinch as if it were flesh. Stepping off of it, the skeleton rose again, unharmed by his display. It nodded at him in approval, the seemingly broken helmet and moss covered armor creaking with it.

"Remember this skill well, for it can finish a battle long before it would run its course. There are other skills that can be taught, only for those with the blood of the hero and the sublime beast. Grow powerful. Test your courage. And when you feel as though you need another skill to overcome the obstacles that you face… you shall find me."

"Hang on, what is this? Who are you?" Link asked, speaking to the spirit for the first time. The skeleton seemed to ignore him, as his surroundings started to dissolve around him.

"A sword has no strength unless the hand who wields it has courage… remember these words well. Until we meet again…" the spirit said as the world faded into a blinding white…

"Ugh, you just have to lie down in the forest, don't you? Midna said angrily towards "the hero's" motionless form. "You can't make it a hundred feet to get to the temple. No, you start ranting about an invisible wolf, and then fall back on your rump, sound asleep. What kind of a hero are you supposed to be?"

She was frustrated with her state of being in this light world. All she could do (without hurting him, anyway) was float and sputter, at least until he woke up again. The golden symbols of the Triforce shone brightly on his hand, the blessing that he had received from his Goddesses. Who are these light dwellers to receive their blessing, while we had to suffer for so long? she thought bitterly, waiting impatiently for his awakening. He has no idea what he is supposed to do, and he can hardly save himself. If this is the best the Goddesses can do in choosing their champion, then they deserve for their lands to fall to that usurper.

Midna looked back down to the green clad Ordonian in disdain, seeing his chest barely rising and falling. Whatever. As long as he can help me get those Fused Shadows that I need, I don't care if he can't buckle his belt in the morning.

She was still angry with how close she had come to revealing something about herself to him over such a small insult, some nobody light dweller that doesn't know what he's dealing with. Princess. Ha. I could come up with a hundred ones better than that.

She shook her head at the thought, a rueful laugh escaping her lips. Just another thing to deal with before I get back to my world… which is why I need this lazy hero to get up and help me get through that temple and get the power I need!

She floated back over to his face, getting a better look at him. He was probably eighteen, maybe nineteen years old. No facial scars, could maybe use a shave, but overall the light dweller was fairly attractive, even by a twili's standards. At least I don't have to order around an ugly hero, she thought with a small smile. Imagine if I had to follow around someone ugly and stupid.

She froze as his eyes suddenly shot open, flashing a brilliant gold for a moment before turning back to their natural blue. Did I just imagine that? she wondered, shaking her head at the image. She closed her eyes, but the golden eyes remained. Whatever it was, something had happened to him in the few minutes he was out.

"Finally! Are you awake yet?" she asked with her arms crossed, floating a short distance away from him. "I mean, I've known some lazy people, but you just fell back standing up! Is that how you light dwellers take a nap, just fall over wherever?"

"I… I saw a spirit, Midna. It spoke of me… and becoming a hero." He shook his head, getting up from the ground. "How long was I out?"

"Two days," she said, deadpan.

"What?!" he yelled, jumping to his feet and eyeing the temple. "That… that can't be!"

"Your right, it can't. You were on the ground there for five minutes." she giggled, even more so after she saw the look on his face. "What? The look on your face was priceless!"

He seemed angry for a moment, but then he too began to chuckle. "Heh, all right. I'll give you that… hey, Midna?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry if I… hurt your feelings back there. I didn't know that it would be a touchy subject for you. Can you forgive me?" he asked plainly.

Midna searched his expression, surprised that he actually seemed genuinely sorry, even though she had been the one to provoke him. Where did this attitude come from? Or had he been like this before?

She pretended to think about it for a moment, looking for a reaction from him. He only seemed to anticipate the answer, not faltering in his resolve as he looked at her.

She finally gave him a nod. "All right, wolfie. I'll forgive you this time. Now, are you done napping, or can we get going to that temple that's just ahead?"

The Ordonian took his sword off of the ground and suddenly gave it a few practiced looking swings, flourishing it as he placed it back in its sheath.

"Ready when you are, Midna," he said with a smirk, starting the short walk to the temple's entrance.

Something has changed, Midna realized. No longer did he have the weariness that had been in his voice, or the hesitation that he had shown previously. No, what he was now showing was confidence. Courage, and confidence. You don't just gain those things after you fall over, do you? she thought, looking back to the hand the Triforce had shone through the gauntlet he wore, now simply another gloved hand.

She ducked back into his shadow, where she swore she could hear him humming up above. Oh, Midna, you're not curious about a light dweller, are you? she chided herself. You're not sticking around here after you have what you need, so why do you want to know why Mr. Hero over here seems more 'heroic?' She recalled the words of their previous argument, about how he had wanted to talk… and she shot him down. Hard.

"Hypocrite." she muttered to herself. Still, he was just a light dweller here, and as he said himself, he did owe her for saving his life twice already. So why do you still feel bad about it?

Indecisive for a moment, she simply stayed in his shadow as he approached the doors to the temple, the ancient carved wood somehow acting as both a warning and an invitation to enter into the unknown. He hasn't really done anything yet, she thought with a smirk. Just let him get what you need first, then you can worry about whether or not he deserves an apology.

The doors to the temple opened, and the unlikely pair stepped forward. All right, Mr. Hero, let's see what you can do.

Cut out a little bit here, particularly in the end. Feel that it might be a little better to include in the next chapter, and not rush Midna's apology. I know a few of you guys might be disappointed by that, though. Still, I'll make sure to get the next chapter written faster; certainly faster than last time, anyway.

Until next time! :)