Chapter 7
Link slumped against a tree as cold sweat began to form on his forehead. He was almost down the mountain, but his head was starting to feel heavy. His vision began to get fuzzy and dark and his breathing became heavier every second.
His cheek where he had been grazed by the dart had been throbbing in pain ever since he escaped the castle. He found a puddle and looked at his reflection. The cut from the dart had healed, but the surrounding area was purple and looked like it was spreading. The thought of the dart being poisonous struck Link almost immediately. He wished he had figured that out earlier.
He continued to lie against the tree as all hope began to drain from inside him. Rauru said that two pieces of the Triforce combined with the Mark of Lightning could defeat the Darkness; if he didn't make it, Hyrule would be doomed.
He stayed in the same spot for another hour or so, getting weaker every moment that passed. His eyes slowly changed from blue to dark red as the world around him turned dark, red, and fuzzy. He didn't know what was what, forgotten who his friends were, even who he was.
Just then, a large figure surrounded by a cloud of blackness approached him. The figure dropped a bundle at his feet and Link curiously picked it up. It was his sword and shield; only he didn't remember why he ever had a sword. He found he could wield it quite well. Just then, the Triforce of Courage on his hand began to glow. The figure smiled as a white light enveloped Link and disappeared. It was only a matter of time before Link was dead, as well as the Lightning Warrior.
Pikachu and the four fairies stood in a huge clearing that seemed to be made entirely of clouds. They were standing on an enormous platform made of white marble and in the middle was an enormous Triforce with Pikachu's Mark of Lightning placed in the middle of the triangle.
'This must be the Sacred Dais' Pikachu thought.
The voice from the entrance boomed, "O Lightning Warrior, thou hast done well to reach the Sacred Dais. You have faced many challenges, now accept this last challenge; for if ye succeed, you will discover the true secret to defeating the Dark one that threatens all of Hyrule. Art thou ready to face this challenge?" the voice asked loudly.
Pikachu clenched her paws into fists and nodded, "I'm ready!" she called.
A bright light appeared a few feet away from Pikachu and the four fairies. Pikachu got into a fighting stance as a tall figure began to take shape in the light.
The light faded, but to Pikachu's horror, the figure was none other than Link!
He seemed a little dazed and wielded his sword and shield as he looked around at where he was. Pikachu's heart was leaping with joy, but also twisted with confusion. Was Link her last challenge?
"Link?" Pikachu called, "is that really you?"
Link whirled around to look at the small mouse with the four fairies floating around her. But all Link could see was a dark figure. Link flinched as it began to run toward him, Pikachu was really just trotting toward him.
"Link, I'm so glad you're okay! I knew that fairy would work, I'm just-"
Pikachu jumped back as Link slashed at her with his sword. "Stay back you- whatever you are- stay away from me!" Link cried.
Pikachu noticed how his eyes were now red instead of blue. "Link, it's me Pikachu," she said and began to walk toward him again.
Link slashed at her again, "I'm warning you, keep away!" he yelled.
Navi and Tatl flew up to Link, "Link what's your problem? Do you know what this poor creature has been through trying to save you?" Tatl demanded angrily.
"Link, calm down; we're your friends!" Navi said.
Link responded by swatting at them with his shield, "I don't know what all of you are, but don't come any closer; or….or I'll kill you!" Link growled.
"He doesn't recognize us at all, it's like he's never seen anything living before," Pikachu said quietly.
Pikachu kept her eyes on Link as she pondered what was going on, could Link have lost his memory? It would sense since Pikachu isn't a part of this world anyway, but he would've at least recognized what fairies were. Pikachu then noticed a purple mark on his cheek.
"Navi! What's wrong with Link's cheek?" she called.
Navi flew high above Link and managed to get close enough to look at it. The blue fairy let out a small gasp.
"What is it sis?" Verdo asked.
"Link is infected with Skull Kid poison!" Navi exclaimed.
"Poison?" Pikachu cried.
"From Skull Kids?" Verdo cried.
Navi nodded frantically and continued to examine the wound.
"What's so bad about Skull Kid poison?" Tael asked in a panicked tone.
Even though he and Tatl were friends with a Skull Kid once, they had never heard of Skull Kid poison. The Skull Kid they hung around with never used poisonous darts, only the element of surprise and, at one time, the dark powers of Majora's Mask.
"This kind of poison is what Skull Kids use against really dangerous intruders. If you're hit directly with it you could die within seconds; but it looks like Link just got grazed." Navi said.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Tatl asked.
"No, even one drop into your blood stream will spread slowly throughout your body until it shuts down completely, but until then, you suffer from horrible symptoms; like drowsiness, loss of the senses, losing memories, and hallucinations." Navi explained.
"Hallucinations; that's it! Link's attacking because the poison is tricking his mind into thinking we're enemies! He must've also lost his memories of us so he doesn't know who are!" Pikachu exclaimed.
Pikachu's Mark of Lightning began to glow as well as Link's Triforce of Courage. She could feel them trying to connect and could hear the despair of the Triforce piece. Pikachu knew what she had to do, but she didn't know if it would work.
If she could somehow power up Link's Triforce more it would have enough power to destroy the poison threatening his body.
"I need to transfer my power to Link, but I don't know how or if it will even be enough," Pikachu said doubtfully.
Tatl flew in front of Pikachu, "What kind of talk is that? You think you don't have enough power after all we've been through to get here?" she demanded.
Pikachu flinched at Tatl's sharpness.
"You've defeated three giant monsters on your own; you have great power inside you, I know you can do it; you just have to trust yourself!" she said.
Pikachu smiled at the small fairy, "You're right Tatl, but even so," Pikachu looked back at Link who was eying them carefully with his sword ready to strike, "I don't know if I'll be able to fight Link. I'd never forgive myself if I hurt him after all he's been through."
Tael flew down to Pikachu next to Tatl, "It'll all be worth it if it means you can save him. Tatl and I had to fight a good friend of ours once who was being possessed, and I still don't know how we made it though without breaking down from fright. But one thing that kept us going was that we knew our friend would make it through and he needed our help to do it."
Pikachu stared at the once very timid purple fairy.
"Like sis said, you just have to trust yourself." Tael said.
"Yeah, and you're not alone," Verdo added, flying down next to the two fairies, "We've been with you through this whole journey and this fight is no different."
Navi flew down with them, "We're all here to support you, no matter what happens." She said.
Pikachu smiled at her four friends and nodded, "Thanks you guys! Now let's get Link back to normal!"
Pikachu ran toward Link with the four fairies closely behind her. Pikachu jumped toward Link with sparks flying from her cheeks; she was not going to let Link die.
Not now; not ever.
