"Tetra," Sheik called out. "Tetra!" she said severely and loudly, trying to be heard over her screams.

"What's wrong?" Navi asked as she feverishly flew over the pirate.

Sheik bent down and roughly grabbed Tetra's shoulder, holding her still. Tetra thrashed on the ground violently. Sheik reached out her right hand and snatched the black stone from the pirate's grasp. The effect was immediate. Tetra stilled and her breathing began to calm as she stopped screaming.

It also immediately affected Sheik as well. She felt as though her blood had been turned into ice. Unintelligible fears rolled into her mind and seized her. Panic flooded through her. Visions flashed before her, not only of her captivity under Umbra, but of the taunts he had used at first and the images he had showed her through his shadow orb. Violent deaths of the people she cared for, and Link being tortured gruesomely. She fell to her knees, eyes wide and breathing deep. She had been expecting something like this, having dealt with the Stone of Ire on Dragon Roost.

"Quinten," she said, trying to stop the stones effects on her. Her voice was a mere whisper. "Quinten!" Her voice came out stronger with the command. "Quinten!" She shouted almost desperately. Ordering the stone to quiet.

A blue light broke through the visions she saw and enveloped them. Like a cleansing shower, the blue light forced the fear and panic from her. The stone fought back, trying to instill nameless dread within her, but whatever caused the blue light forced it to stop.

She fell forwards, catching herself with her left hand. Her entire body trembled in the aftermath of the stone's effects. She took the chain she had fastened the Stone of Ire to and looped the Stone of Terror's chain around it. Both of the stones that housed dark powers dangled about her waist.

Sheik stood after a moment, grabbing the dagger from the grass it had dropped to. She reached out a hand to Tetra, who helped herself up without Sheik's aid. Tetra went over to her sword and sheathed it.

"Someday," Tetra said in voice that vainly tried to veil the terror she had just felt, "You're going to have to teach me how to do stuff like that."

Sheik gave the pirate a thin smile and pulled her scarf back over her face. She held the dagger behind the small of her back and let go of the handle, it disappeared in a flash of light. "Like what?"

"That magic that gets stuff to leave you alone, and making weapons magically disappear."

She exhaled a sharp and amused breath. "Magic takes time to learn, but I will try to teach you, it's the best option for while we travel. I've run out of history to tell you. As for the weapon, the Great Fairies, who are blessed by the goddesses, made it. It can be drawn by thought and when unneeded it vanishes. It's a gift from Link."

"And he gave you something like that?"

Sheik shrugged. "He said he didn't need it, and thought I could make use of it."

"A secret weapon? No need for it?" Tetra scoffed.

"That is unusual," Zelda replied. "He had only a few hours earlier just shown how much he could use it."

"Yeah. That's the only weapon he can draw when cursed," Navi chimed in. Under her blue glow she was grinning. "He gave it to you because he can get around without it, but he wanted you to have something to protect yourself with."

"How noble," Tetra said with a smile aimed at Sheik.

Sheik frowned and set her shoulders. She looked at Tetra and then at Navi. Their jesting tone had not gone unnoticed. Her voice was calm when she spoke, "The both of you are a little too open about an issue like that."

Tetra sauntered over to her and placed an arm around her shoulders. "Oh come on. Just a little fun. Besides, I'm talking about him, not you."

"Same here." Navi said with a cackle.

Sheik removed Tetra's hand from around her shoulder, "If he wanted you to speak about his emotions in a jesting manner, he would have said so."

"Defensive," Tetra said with a smile.

Sheik narrowed her eyes and walked back towards the boat. "Enough, let's get moving. If we must, we can continue to talk while we are on the boat."

"What's with the rush? Can't we just walk around for a little? My legs hurt from sitting so much"

Sheik stopped and turned to Tetra. "That battle should have been more then enough to exorcise soreness from you. I don't intend to leave Link in the clutches of my shadow, or his won, any longer then absolutely necessary. Umbra has expressed a desire to watch Link die. The more time we waste, the greater the odds of Link being dead. This might apply to Linkuu as well."

Tetra immediately sobered. She straightened and followed Sheik silently. They got onto the boat and Tetra brought out the map and the compass. She tapped a few squares and frowned in thought.

"The best and fastest option would be to go to Southern Fairy Island, Ice Ring Isle, and find the third Great Fairy on the way to the Tower of the Gods."

"Which direction do we need to go to get to Southern Fairy Island?" Sheik asked as she brought out the green stone.

Tetra paused as she looked at the chart and angled the rudder, "This way seems best."

Sheik nodded and muttered an ancient chant, the wind's direction changed. A strong breeze filled the sail and the boat took off.

For the next several hours Sheik tried to teach Tetra the basic principles of magic. How it worked, what needed to be said or thought, this also delved into a lesson on the most ancient of languages. Tetra picked up very quickly on the lessons, she had trouble pronouncing the words, but she eventually learned it. She didn't teach her the runes of the ancient language, it was unneeded. After five hours of teaching, Sheik tried to teach Tetra a few spells. The results would have, in another time and place, been amusing. When trying a fire spell, it had exploded in her face several times.

"No, Tetra! You need to concentrate," Sheik chastised her after cutting out Tetra's fire spell a second time. The flame had been wavering and pulsating, instead of a perfect sphere; its colors were various reds and oranges instead of the precise yellow-orange that it should have been. "If you don't you could have unwanted effects. You need to think about what you want the spell to do and not deviate from it. Try again."

Tetra coughed and raised up her hand and said in as clear a voice as she could, "Figra sphonten." A few inches above her palm an orb of fire began to appear. It grew until it was several inches in diameter. The sphere was a titian shade, just a few lighter then the one Sheik had shown her. It remained perfectly still, hovering just above her hand. Tetra stared at it, immersed in how strangely beautiful it was.

"Good." Sheik muttered. "Now try to move it, hit the crest of a wave."

Tetra nodded. She spied a wave and then came up with the phrase she might possibly need, "Motena figra." Move, fire. The sphere jumped out of her palm. It zipped forward and nearly crashed into the head of the boat.

Sheik reached a hand towards the fire orb, the sphere stopped and gently dropped into the water. She drew a breath and let her hand down, "It moves as fast and as far as you think about it. Be more careful."

Tetra nodded her head. She summoned another orb of fire and muttered the spell to move it. The flame sphere crashed into the peak of a wave.

Sheik nodded in approval as Tetra turned to her. "Okay, now let's do something else."

For the next several hours Sheik covered more spells with her, based in different elements. She taught Tetra the basics in water, wind, earth, and electricity. Tetra picked up quickly, learning with more ease as time went on and she started to get the hang of it.

By nightfall, Tetra had nearly mastered the basics. They exchanged watch shifts, Tetra for the first half and Sheik for the second. In the morning Sheik recapped her lessons and Tetra showed that it had not been luck, she still remembered the basics and could perform them well. Sheik taught her a few more mediocre spells, Tetra had more difficulty with these but she slowly moved through them.

"I believe we're coming up on the island," Sheik said after Tetra had moved onto the newest water spell. "When we get there, practice that earth spell I taught you the other day."

"What do you want me to do?" Tetra said as she looked at the island they were coming up to.

Sheik sat back and thought about it. The boat bumped against the island. Sheik and Tetra got out. Tetra took a rope and tied it around the head. She then staked it into the ground.

"Make some grass grow on the sand. Just a small patch." Sheik instructed and then left. She walked into the large pineapple like building and jumped down the hole that would lead to the great fairy fountain.

Where everything in Eastern Fairy Island was tinged green, this had a slight tint of blue. Otherwise this was an exact replica.

«Oh, Great Fairy. Are you there? Can you hear me?» Sheik called out as she knelt down on the step.

There was the sound of chimes as the great fairy appeared. Her gown was of ice, her skin the darkest tinge of navy and her hair rippled into twin pigtails. She too had the four arms.

«What do you seek, oh beloved one chosen by Nayru?» The great fairy asked. «Ask and I shall try and grant your desire.»

Sheik moved into a standing position. She stared at the Great Fairy before pulling out the partially formed stone of blue. «I seek the final fragment to this. Would you be able to bestow it upon me?»

The fairy laughed, «I would indeed. Here, you may have it.»

She brought her upper two arms in front of her face and clasped the hands together. Then she lifted the lower limbs up. With those hands she crossed her index and middle fingers while moving her ring and pinky fingers as one, spreading them far from the crossed fingers, and she placed her thumb on her palm. She unclasped the hands of her upper arms and bent them backwards. The last Nayru fragment was floating above the heels of her palms. The gem floated to Sheik.

She grasped the fragment out of the air. She placed the last fragment next to the partially completed stone. There was a flash of blue light and the stones melded into one. The stone was carved to look like a whirlpool, as it might be seen from above.

«This stone will allow me to move water in any way, correct?»

The fairy bowed. «In this way you can move the water in everything, the ocean, the ground, and all living things. Please mind not to abuse it.»

«I would never defile the goddesses' powers so,» Sheik responded firmly.

«Then I am pleased to have been able to help you.» The fairy bowed to Sheik and dissipated into a small fountain. Sheik turned around and left the fairy's sanctuary.

When she got above ground, she saw Tetra crouched near a patch of grass. The pirate raised her hand above an empty patch of sand, muttered a few words, and grass began to grow.

"Good," Sheik said as she walked up to the Pirate.

"So, how did it go?" Navi asked as she fluttered in the air.

"It went well," Sheik displayed the blue stone. It was the size of her hand, as was the green stone. "So did your practice. I'm glad you did not fail." She said and rubbed the grass into the ground with her foot.

"Hey!" Tetra exclaimed.

"Messing around with the elements as though they are playthings is not a wise decision. You have great magical energy, Tetra, but it would be wise not to exhaust yourself with meaningless tasks. I teach you these spells under the assumption that they might serve you one day, if you are stranded on an island you can make a fruit tree grow and bear food in hours, you can purify salt water, or you could save your ship in a storm. But do not eat your strength by making grass grow to amuse yourself, it would only wear you out and could eventually kill you."

"But you make me use so many spells when teaching me," the pirate protested.

"That is because it is better for you to be tired then to use a spell you have not mastered, the effects can be disastrous. I want to make sure you can control the spell and that it does not control you. Now come, we should leave. I'll let you recover as we travel, you'll need your strength if we are to fight another time. I shall teach you more of the language so you can invent your own spells if you feel the need."

With that Sheik got into the boat. Tetra hopped in as well. "Okay," she pulled out the compass and double-checked their bearings. She pointed in a direction. "We need to go east."

Sheik pulled out Farore's stone and changed the direction and force of the winds. They were propelled through the water. She taught the pirate several more words and gave her a brief grammar lesson in the ancient tongue. Hours later, Tetra was able to recall most of them.

Sheik had just finished quizzing Tetra when they arrived at the next island. Sheik frowned decidedly at what she saw. It was a ring of ice comprised of various slippery slopes and a dragonhead on its north end. There was no place to properly moor the boat, so when they got out, Sheik used Naryu's stone to make a rope of water, and had Tetra freeze it, connecting the icy twine to the edge of the ice ring. They proceeded carefully, there was an indelible chill in the air caused by the ice, and their feet were cold seconds after landing on the ring. They did not want to slip, the surface was extremely smooth and getting up would prove extraordinarily difficult.

Despite their caution, Tetra was the first one to fall. Sheik stood carefully, having had experience with ice previously in life. She held out a hand and helped Tetra to stand. Tetra paused after seeing Sheik shiver uncontrollably. Navi fluttered in the air, her wings making a small hum.

"Are you that cold?" the pirate asked.

"Yes. Aren't you?" Sheik replied.

"It's freezing!" Navi offered.

Tetra thought to consider, "No, not really. I mean, it's a little cool, but I'm not freezing."

"Farore's Robe," Sheik responded instantly. "It allows you to pass through all forms of terrain with very little affliction."

"Oh." Tetra said and looked down. She noticed that her clothes were a little darker then they usually were.

"Let us continue," Sheik said. They climbed up what few level surfaces there were and stood on the top of the ring. They saw that there were several ice bergs in the center of the ring along with platforms that moved in a cyclic pattern as the water moved under the ring. They bobbed gently in the water.

Standing in the center of one of the ice-coated platforms was a woman. She had pale skin, dark hair that was pulled back into a ponytail, was garbed in black and white, and had a lengthy black sword.

Sheik glanced down at Tetra, the figure before them was a twisted version of the Pirate. "What name do you go by now, Xeilia?" The warrior called out.

The dark pirate bowed deeply to them, "You are fast. Of course, what else could I expect from you, Zelda? I am Melantha as she is Tetra." The woman pointed at the pirate and drew the sword. It glittered in the sunlight.

"Do you have the third stone?" Sheik called out across the water.

Melantha reached into her black vest and pulled out a sapphire crystal. "Indeed. The Stone of Torture." She wrapped the glittering gold chain the crystal was attached to around the hilt of her weapon. Sheik narrowed her eyes, the third vice: sadism. She could not begin to imagine what would happen when she grabbed the stone.

Tetra and Sheik moved as one. It was several long minutes before they were able to jump along the platforms to even get near Melantha. At that point, the dark pirate jumped far above them and onto the top of the ice ring.

"Din." Tetra muttered. "How are we supposed to hit her if we can't get near her?"

Sheik grinned and answered, "Remember what I taught you."

She used her Sheikah magic to increase the friction under her as she bent down. She jumped up and landed on the side of the ring. She glued her feet to the side of the ring with more magic and ran up towards Melantha. The dark pirate raised her sword. Sheik dropped down the wall and lashed out with her chain whip. As though expecting this, Melantha brought her sword down, tip in the middle of a link.

The end of her sword got stuck in the ice, effectively trapping Sheik. The warrior took this in stride and used the entrapment to her own ends. She swung upwards and around. The sword held in the ice, which was what Sheik had been counting on. As she swung around in a circle around the sword the chain wrapped around Melantha, who had stood by her weapon. It took less then a second for Sheik to have wrapped Melantha against the sword with one revolution. The warrior landed on the top of the ice ring on the opposite side of the sword as the dark pirate. Sheik forced her arm backwards, pulling the sword out of the ice and lifting Melantha off the ground. Sheik then flung her arm towards Tetra, unwrapping her enemy and sent sliding along the surface of the platform.

Tetra brought down her sword and stuck it in into Melantha's path as she slid along the ice. Melantha had grabbed her own weapon and held it out so the edge of Tetra's sword did not dig into her flesh. She used her sword as a lever and rebounded backwards, tripping Tetra in the process. The dark pirate stuck the end of her sword in the ice, came to a grating stop, and pushed herself at Tetra, who was trying to get up.

Melantha knocked into Tetra, sending the pirate off the edge and into the water. She grabbed the edge of the ice platform and scrambled to get up on top.

Sheik was in front of Melantha as she came up. The chain had been retracted into the tubing around her wrist, and she struck out with her right hand, forming it like a weapon. Melantha grabbed Sheik's hand and sent her face first into the ice platform, moving in a circle in the process.

Sheik twisted on the ground, standing on her hands and lashing out with her feet. She kicked Melantha in the chest, sending her opponent sliding backwards. Melantha grabbed her sword's hilt and jumped on the edge of the platform, landing on the edge of a nearby platform.

Melantha brought up her sword, just in time to block a barrage of needles from Sheik's left hand. The force sent her backwards a little.

Tetra swam under the surface of the water, the robe made it so that she didn't even have to hold her breath. She looked up, the water was murky but she was just able to see Melantha flying above a gap above her. Tetra swam to the other side of the platform and breached the surface as carefully as she could. She brought her hands above the surface of the water and great difficulty in staying afloat. She formed in her hands two orbs of fire, just mouthing the spell of the phrase.

The orb in her left hand rose up and flew at the dark pirate.

Melantha ducked and turned to her right, just in time to see the second orb flying at her. She just barely dodged the attack. However, she was unable to move to dodge Sheik's attack. The warrior elbowed the dark pirate in the stomach. Melantha was sent backwards and into the surface of the water with a splash. Her sword twirled in the air as Sheik grabbed it. She unwound the chain around the hilt and dropped the stone on the surface of the platform.

Tetra forced a small wave to submerge Melantha before diving down herself. The dark pirate had no advantage of Farore's Robe, so Tetra's dark copy was unable to see through the water. Tetra grabbed Melantha and kneed her as hard as she could. Then she mouthed a spell, having a jet of water force Melantha into the air.

Sheik had readied herself for whenever Melantha would surface. She had charged Melantha's sword with light energy. The Sheikah threw the weapon at Melantha as the dark pirate flew into the air from the strength of Tetra's attack. The light charged blade buried itself into its wielder. Melantha disappeared with an agonized scream.

Sheik soon joined into that chorus as she picked up the Stone of Torture.


Link and Linkuu sat where they had been since Umbra and Xeilia had disappeared hours ago. Link silently fumed with anger. When Xeilia had left to do something, Link had tried out his new weapon, jealousy, on Umbra. His shadow had merely cackled at him, commended him on his efforts, and walked away.

«Um, hey?» Linkuu called out to the Hero of Time. Link looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. «That was a really good try. Shame it didn't work.» Link smiled wryly. Linkuu continued, «It makes sense too, what you said. I just wonder what he meant by he knew that she wouldn't do anything too bold.» Link raised an eyebrow. «I mean, I know what he meant, but I don't know why he's so sure.»

At this Link shrugged. He paused for a moment before replying with, «He's an arrogant man, I guess.»

Linkuu smiled. «Hey, I got a word out of you.»

«Navi's not here, and these are too tight for sign language.» He gestured at the chains by raising his right hand.

At that the two fell into silence once again. It was several tens of minutes later when Linkuu spoke again. «Hey, are you, scared at all? Nervous even?»

Link gave Linkuu a bemused look and then nodded.

«What?» Linkuu exclaimed, «Y-You are?»

«I'm slightly anxious about what will happen, and concerned for Zelda.» Link considered Linkuu for a moment. He examined his surprised, wide eyes and slack jaw. He furrowed his eyebrows together at Linkuu's reaction. «Should I not feel that way?»

Linkuu shook his head vehemently. It was a minute before he spoke, «Nothing like that, but I just wasn't expecting you to say yes.» Under Link's curious gaze he explained, «Well, you're the hero of legend, someone who is said to have unfailing courage and faced the beast Ganon without even flinching. I didn't expect you to be anxious.»

Link couldn't help the laughter that escaped from him at that. It was several minutes before he quieted. He looked up at Linkuu and shook his head. «I was ten when I first saw that man. Before then I woke up from nightmare's coated in sweat. Even when I faced Ganon, my hands trembled so hard my sword shook. I was never without fear, I just carried on in spite of it.» After what had been the longest string of words he had ever said, Link retracted into silence.

Linkuu looked at him, head tilted to the side and eyebrows knotted together. After a long time he smiled and said, «That's reassuring.» Link looked at him sharply and quirked an eyebrow. «I had been told my entire life how courageous you were, how you never felt fear. When I found out that I was supposed to be you reincarnated, it was a little daunting. I got scared a lot, but if I was supposed to be the new Hero, I was afraid I'd fall short of everyone's expectations because I wasn't fearless.»

Again Link laughed. «I'm didn't become the Hero of Time to meet the expectations of anyone. I did it because I was compelled to stop Ganondorf and save as many people as I could.»

Linkuu smiled. «Yeah. You're right. I was the same way.»

Link settled into a seated position, his laughter had forced him into sitting in a way that was uncomfortable. «Only a fool says he is never afraid,» he said darkly.

«I guess you're right.»