He screamed and crumpled to the ground.
"Link!" Tetra rushed forward and shook him. Link turned over, laughing. "Fooled you!"
Tetra smacked him. "It's not funny, Link! I thought I'd lost you."
"You did?" Link asked. Tetra blushed.
"Shut up. Let's get moving." She spun around and headed for the closest cave. Link and the other pirates followed obediently, but Link was sure Nudge had winked at him.
The weather, temperature, and aura of menace and doom did not improve inside the cave. In fact, it only worsened.
Tetra walked silently in front. Three feet behind, Mako was trembling with fear. He bumped into a stalagmite, screamed, and ran to catch up to Tetra.
Gonzo and Nudge followed close behind. Gonzo was trying to look tough, but he was about ready to cry.
Link hung in the back, regretting his joke. But why had Tetra been that mad? She knew how much he'd been through. She knew he could manage.
His thoughts were interrupted by a scream, a victorious wail, and the beating of wings.
"Miss Tetra!" Gonzo screamed.
Link charged forward to catch up with the pirates.
"What happened?!" he cried. Gonzo's eyes were huge.
"B-b-b-b-big-g M-m-m-m-moth-u-u-la-" he stuttered.
"A huge Mothula came and took Miss Tetra!" Nudge translated.
"Uh-guuuuuuyyys!" Mako shouted. Out of the corner of his eyes, Link saw a massive Red ChuChu swallow up Mako into its gelatinous body and vanished.
"Mako-waugh!" Nudge was taken by a gigantic Magtail.
"Stay calm, Gonzo." Link said. "We're dealing with a legendary Verigian shapeshifter. This beast feeds on the fear of others. Don't-"
"Waaauuuuggghhh!" The Helmaroc King flew in and grabbed Gonzo.
Link was alone. Alone with a dangerous beast.
"It's just me." He muttered. Unlike the others, Link had no fear of a specific monster. The beast had no advantage over him.
Deep, booming laughter filled the cavern, as shadows suddenly began to take shape into a human form. He wore a dark cloak and held two blades.
Ganondorf.
"Little hero." He said, stepping into the light. "I have waited for this moment. I have risen again. And I am here to kill you."
Link couldn't believe it. Link was alone with Ganondorf. His worst fears were coming true.
"No…" he muttered. "No!"
"Poor little hero… all alone. No one to save you now. Without someone else to back you up, all your precious courage has left you." Ganondorf chuckled evilly.
"I have courage." Link said. "I have courage. I have courage!"
Ganondorf took a step back. He drew his blades, but the action seemed to cost him great pain. "Hero...!"
"I don't fear you!" Link yelled, stepping forward. "You're not even real! You're just a shapeshifter!"
The shapeshifter howled. Without the fear of others to power himself, he couldn't sustain his false form and Link could see it for what it really was. A tiny little ball of fur with two big eyes and legs the size of toothpicks. A tiny, fuzzy ball of pure evil.
Link sliced it in half with the Master Sword.
"Noooooo…!" the shapeshifter wailed, exploding into purple smoke.
Tetra, Mako, Nudge and Gonzo appeared in front of him.
"What happened?" asked Mako.
Tetra bent down and picked up a blue stone from where the shapeshifter had fallen.
"We have the Blurok." She said.