Silent Courage: The Rewrite

by GerdenGerudo

Day-to-day life is not as easy for Link as she would hope. With being the Princess' own Personal Knight, dealing with the loss of a friend, and all of Hyrule thinking she is a man, she has enough on her plate as it is. But when old forces, once forgotten, begin to awaken, it is up to her and allies, old and new alike, to rise against it. A rewrite of my first story. Fem!Link. Now M

10. Chapter 8: The Skyward Ruins

To Baby Mama Valkyria: xD Glad to know I create such a response. Thanks! I was hoping I could start it off strongly. This is when I'll have to reread my previous story, as there are parts I can't quite remember xD Midna is the best. She's my favourite character in the entire Zelda universe, and it's not an easy pick there are so many great characters.

To Reader: You're welcome. Life can bite sometimes, so I'm happy my stories can give you a distraction, even if for only a little while :)

To Anonymous: Thank you! I will!

To Maetrix: Yus! Aww thanks. I'm glad you like it ^_^

I'm so sorry that this has taken so long to write. If the Wall of Blocking is a bitch, then motivation is a roller-coaster with many downward dips. I hope to fall back into a schedule, updating a story every two weeks. If I keep at it maybe I'll actually finish a god-damn story.

Chapter 8: The Skyward Ruins

-No Specific Point of View-

"If you've come here to say what is on your mind, don't waste your breath. Don't think I didn't notice you giving me the evil look," Sheik says as he places his harp down on his lap. He had hoped he'd get a quiet morning to play it, but it seemed a certain Twili wanted to intrude on him instead.

"Good, because this is about yesterday."

Sheik glares, not wishing to be reminded of her playing with his mind as she had the night before.

"So all I said was true, wasn't it? You care more about Link then you let on. You can deny it all you like but I see the way you look at her. What I want to know is why. Why do you really care about Link? You just met her and try to express as little interest as possible. Yet you can't resist it."

Sheik promptly represses the memories threatening to resurface. Unfortunately two pairs of eyes sneak into his mind, blue and red.

No. Don't think of them. Don't think of her.

"I don't care for Link that much. I'm just trying to help. And my reasons for helping are my own."

"So you're a liar and a secret keeper. You know, Sheik, I was exactly like you not a year ago. I kept telling myself that I hated everyone in this world, hated Link most of all. I convinced myself that if I told myself I didn't care about their fate that I wouldn't care about them. But it didn't work. I did my best to push Link's limits and often succeeded. Now because of that she will always fear me. Oh she pretends like she doesn't. If I confronted her about it she would also deny it. Saying she could never be afraid of her friends. I was terrible to her every waking moment because it was the only way I could tell myself that she didn't matter to me. That I didn't care if she were alive or dead. And you know where I ended up? A moment from death. If Link were anybody else she would have let me die. Yet this stupid girl who I did my best to make hate me saved my life without a second of doubt. This girl who I only saw as a liability, as a tool for my own use to be thrown once I was done with her."

"What does any of this have to do with me?"

"Because Link is a trustful and faithful person. You won't find a more loyal friend in all the worlds. She believes in second chances and that everyone has good in them. That nobody is truly evil. She is willing to get herself hurt because she trusts others will be inherently kind and good. She is very naive. Even after everything she's been through she is naive about how people are. She'll kill something or someone who is dangerous just fine, sure. But even after facing the two most vile people in the worlds she thinks others are honest and loyal. You are in that category for her. Even though you've clearly done some things to piss her off, she trusts you with her life. Just like she trusted me so far back."

"Sheik, people like you and I have hurt Link all her life. People who treat her like trash but she still will throw herself into a battle for, or stab herself for."

Midna's gaze turns hazy in memory.

"She is my best friend. The first person to ever see past the selfish, arrogant bitch I was and to see who I could become. Who I am now. But I hurt her so much to get to this day. I tortured her mentally and physically. So I'm warning you now, Sheik. If you do anything like I did, if you hurt Link in any way be it by accident or on purpose I will ensure to kill you with all the power I possess."

"I won't hurt Link, Midna. I promise you."

"You'd best not make promises you can't keep."

For a single moment Sheik's eyes widen. Instead of a tall Twili he sees his worst nightmare. His worst memory. She looks at him with cold eyes. He quickly forces himself to look away from Midna, who has an unreadable expression to rival his own. The sun is beginning to rise.

"Glad we had this talk, Sheik. Let's go, I have a friend to cure."

Midna vanishes into the shadows, entering the barn through the broken roof tiles. Sheik remains outside, heart still racing from the rush of memories he's repressed over the years.

Why must they remind me so much of them? So much of...her?

-0-0-0-0-
In the Morning
Link's Point of View
-0-0-0-0-

I sit quietly as Navi hovers over the map. I have the memory of dreaming last night but unfortunately I don't remember what it was. Chances are it will present itself to me eventually. When that happens hopefully I'll be prepared. All my worst nightmares come true in some form. But what form will this one take?

"When you guys were getting this I read a bit about this old Hyrule of yours, or as much as I could find. There wasn't much in this," Midna holds up a thin book without a name. She places it beside the map. "But it did say there used to be a civilization in the sky."

'Like the Oocca?'

"No. This book suggests humans came down to the earth from the sky well over a million years ago, maybe even longer than that. That is where we'll go. Zelda researched more and suggested we go to Death Mountain's peak. We may somehow gain access to the sky from there. And it works out as Din's Eye is supposed to be there, from Jikan's notes, so we can find that after coming back."

Humans from the sky? Why does that not seem as ridiculous as it should?

"Okay, let's go. We have a lot of ground to cover," Navi says, sitting down on my neck.

As we leave the ranch, I can't help but look back at it. In one of my many lives this was my home. A part of me still feels it. But it's so small. I wonder, how much will my next life feel from my current one? How many memories will he, or she, get? What instincts will I pass on? Will I be reborn with the Triforce of Courage again? Will I even by my own descendant? I'm related to myself from thousands of years ago. Will that happen again or will I be reborn into a new family line?

I feel a headache as I turn away from the ranch. I need to stop thinking so deeply into the incarnation process. I don't think it will ever be fully explained why it happens or how it happens, so I'd best not dwell on it for my own sanity.

"Are you going to keep up or am I going to have to carry you?" Sheik asks, bringing me out of my thoughts to realise how far behind him I am. I huff and jog to catch up.

'Not gunna just grab me this time? How nice.'

"It was either that or spend time we didn't have climbing wet stone."

'Point taken. Still coulda warned me.'

"I'm more surprised I tricked you so easily. Only kids would fall for something like that."

'Unless you regularly get attacked from behind.' I think bitterly to myself as my biggest mistake burns on my back.

"Link's easily tricked." My ears perk curiously. Midna says this with a touch of venom in her voice, as if giving a warning. "No offence."

I stay silent. I've lost count of how many times trusting someone has given me grief. A lot of the time Midna was there to see it. She's definitely not wrong.

"So, you two, how exactly did you meet each other?" Midna asks, smirking as she emerges. "It doesn't seem like you just met off the streets."

"Death Mountain."

I cringe. Midna notices.

"During that genocide."

"Yes. She rolled into me, we parted ways and I left the mountain."

'Then he stalked me.'

"I was not following you." I smirk as his face turns red. "I was going my own way, but we crossed paths at Zora's Domain."

"Why did you leave the mountain when those Gorons were getting killed?"

"There wasn't anymore I could do."

'Let him be. Nothin' is gunna change the past. We managed to save about half in the end. The ones who died were dead before we knew what was happenin',' I think sadly. I wonder how many more could have died had Rocky not gotten the attention from the Castle. I need to thank him properly later.

"Fine. Whatever," Midna clearly isn't going to let that drop as easily as I did. She looks at me for a moment and sighs. "Navi, Sheik, you two go on ahead. I want to talk to Link alone."

To my surprise neither argue and pick up their pace. Once out of hear shot Midna looks down to me with a furrowed brow. "You've shuttered whenever Death Mountain has been brought up. I see fear in your eyes. More happened up there than just the genocide of the Gorons, didn't it? To you personally."

I look at my shoulder where my tattoo is. Even with my fur there is a dark patch of where it should be. 'I knew you'd ask sooner or later. Yeah. I was stuck at the Castle for those weeks not because of a broken leg, that healed quickly, but from trauma.'

"Trauma? You? I don't think I've ever seen anything but magic strike that cord."

'This was different. This was...worse than magic.'

Midna doesn't hide her shock. She stops walking and crouches down. "Do you want to talk about it? It sounds like you're not ready to share what happened."

'I want to tell you. You'll just pester me if I don't,' I think, trying to lighten the mood just a little bit. 'In Death Mountain, there wasn't just Volvagia. There were other creatures. They came from a different land, forced here by someone they call 'the grey man.' One group were called Gryphons, bird and cat hybrids that gladly took part in the genocide by capturing the Gorons, except two who I befriended. They helped me through the Temple. My dragon was able to scare them off.'

"The same one you raised for a few years?"

'Yeah.'

"I'll have to ask more later. What other kind of creatures were there?"

'There was a woman-bird hybrid called a Harpy that Sheik helped me kill. That was when I met the younger Gryphon, Felix. She was the only one we saw in the Temple. Then there were...' I look down, gazing at the scorched earth. I gulp, starting to shake. I feel Midna put her hand on my back. 'The final creatures. Thank the Gods I only encountered one. I heard there were others, but most had left the Temple. They were hybrids as well, a man and a bull. Their torsos and up were a bull, below the torso they were most definitely humanoid.' I shutter again. 'They're called...M-Minotaurs. They're all males. And they have seasons for...mating. It, uh, is their season now. I got separated from the others during the Temple, Volvagia had swiped me and I escaped. I remember something caught me as I fell, but I never saw what it was. When I entered the Temple from the entrance, I...I encountered a M-Minotaur. He chased me into a lava room and all I could do was run. Arrows didn't do anything to him and he was so huge, there was no way I could fight him with my sword on the small platforms. I misjudged a jump and landed with a foot in the lava. Then I saw his hooves in my face. He was going to kill me. He was. My head was so close to the lava. Then...he sn-sniffed the air. He picked me up and...' I gasp as I feel the ghost of his hand, 'he discovered I was female. He-he p-pinned me down and was...he was going to...'

I close my eyes, but I see him. The giant beast looming over me, the look in his eyes. The knee on my back, the hand forcing my head down, the snapping of my leg so I couldn't escape. It plays out before me. I force my eyes open but see his shadow above me. Just like what happened, just like my haunting dreams.

Just like at Jabu-Jabu's Lake.

Midna picks me up, hugging me on her shoulder. I shutter, unable to cry. Wolves can't cry.

"You can stop. I understand what you're saying. Does anyone else know?"

'Navi showed up before he could do anything, along with Darbus. I told Zelda.'

"No one else knows?"

'No. They all thought I was recovering just from the genocide. I was, truly, but what happened was another burden all together. I'm not as healed as I wish I was.'

"That sort of thing takes a long time to recover from. Do you want to walk?"

'...I think I'm done walking right now.'

-0-0-0-0-
That Night
-0-0-0-0-

And I thought a city full of demons was bad.

"This was Kakariko Village," Navi says as we pass under the town's sign, distorted and faded. "You humans will keep the names of your older homes if it kills you. This was once the home of the Sheikah Tribe, before they vanished into history long before Link was born. One of our friends and mentors during our adventure was born and raised here until she became the bodyguard to Zelda."

The entire town is deserted. Why wouldn't the demons utilize this if they could reclaim the old Castle Town? Are there not enough to fill both places or are they avoiding something here?

"Why aren't there demons here as well?" Sheik asks, mirroring my thoughts.

"Close by to the town is their graveyard, with the Royal Family Tomb far in the back. It was the bloody mark of the civil war long ago. The Tomb became to be known as the Shadow Temple, which a citizen of Kakariko would watch for any signs of danger. Unsurprisingly the Sage of Shadow was the Temple Keeper before she was awoken. It could be possible something escaped the Temple and the demons didn't want to deal with it. Honestly anyone with a brain would avoid that place."

I look back at Navi sitting on my back. 'But if it was where a Sage was, didn't Time go inside?'

"Well I never said we had any brains," she teases. I lightly tap her with my tail and she giggles.

We walk through the empty village on alert. Yet we still don't see anything potentially dangerous. As we go further I look up to see something I had seen from the entrance, but couldn't get a good look at. A windmill stands tall on top of a hill, the only building remaining intact. In front of the hill is a collapsed well.

"This windmill has an enchantment on it," Midna says, surprised. "It's very faded. Just enough to keep it from falling."

"Yes. Kakariko was built around the windmill, from what I remember. In legends it was said this windmill could control the weather, making the crops prosper. Eventually that faded into history. Everything about the Sheikah fades in time. Like distance echoes."

"We're meant to be forgotten."

"Then why parade your Sheikah clothes so people will know what you are?" Midna asks.

"I only wear it at night, when I know I won't be seen. The clothes of a Sheikah are much more important than you could ever know."

'What's that mean?' I ask, tilting my head to look at his face. 'What's so special about them?'

"Only something important to the Tribe," he says quietly. He fingers the throwing knives on his belt. How does he never run out of those?

'Sheik, why aren't you with the other Sheikah? I thought if you guys wanted to be forgotten you would never leave a hidden place.'

"Link, do yourself a favour and never ask that again." My ears pin back in confusion.

I look away, wondering just what is wrong with him, when I see something out of the corner of my eye. I turn my head to see a shape teleport from a nearby rooftop. 'There's something here.'

"On the windmill."

I look up at where Navi says. I freeze, eyes growing wide. In the light of the moon I can see a tall shape, a cape blowing in the breeze. I see a hint of grey before they vanish. The particles left behind almost remind me of Twilight Particles, but they're different.

It is hard to see the shape from so far.

'That was at Lake Hylia!' I think, looking around desperately.

"It wasn't Zant," Midna says, coming out with a glare. "We need to go."

Just a little further.

My ears flatten. Where did that voice come from? From the others reactions they heard it too. Sheik has his Chain-Whip out already.

If you wish to discover who I am, come to the sky. There is a way. There is always a way.

It is a male's voice. Confident, smooth and calm. Yet it fills me with so much confusing dread. I haven't felt my heart pound so fast at a voice since hearing Ganondorf in my nightmares.

After all...you've done it before.

Link.

I let out a whine, stepping closer to Midna's legs. She brushes against my side, a ball of Twili magic formed in her hand. Voices I've never heard should not know my name. I make sure my mental walls are up, glad to find they've been up and strong since arriving in Old Hyrule.

"He's gone," Sheik says, letting the chain fall but keeping it out.

"I've never heard that voice before," Navi says, worry in her voice.

"We should get to the highest peak. I don't trust whoever that is, but if they know how to get to the sky they might be waiting there," Midna returns to Sheik's shadow.

'I almost hope they aren't,' I think to myself. Strangers shouldn't know names.

"Why are you so surprised he knew your name? Everyone in Hyrule knows who you are by now," Sheik asks.

'It's different. This isn't our Hyrule.'

And something about that voice unnerves me. Why do I feel so uneasy? I check behind my shoulder as we make our way towards the old Death Mountain. My ears and tail droop and I quicken my pace so I'm near Sheik. None of this is comforting.

The sun is rising as we climb the path up the mountain. It's quiet and barren, just like the field. There are also no further signs of that shadow or voice. I can't tell if that is good or bad. I make sure I'm near Sheik the entire time, afraid of getting too far from him. Navi can sense my unease, sitting on my neck whispering to me about the adventures she and Link shared on the mountain. I thank her for trying, but it can't shake any of my fear away.

"Don't trip me up," Sheik warns, making me look up at him.

'S-sorry.'

I didn't realise just how close I was to him.

We step onto a wider cliff, able to spot the top of the mountain from our spot. "It's going to take us until night to get there."

"We could teleport," Navi suggests. "But I know Link won't have that."

'No, it would be best. The last time I was recovering from something, Zant began to kill Jabu-Jabu. We can't waste time because of me,' I refuse to shiver.

"I can't teleport us up there. The constant sun is draining me too quickly for my magic to rest. It's taken a lot of my power to keep this going for so long," Midna gestures down herself. Ever since she shared her soul with Zelda she's been able to withstand the light better, but still needs to protect herself from the sun. She's still a Twili.

"I can take us up there. I won't even need to use magic. I'll just need momentum and silence to concentrate," Sheik says, not looking at me directly but glancing down at me from the corner of his eyes.

'Don't worry, I won't say a word,' I smirk with a wag of my tail. 'You won't even need to cover my mouth this time, promise.'

My tail wags more when I see the skin around his face turn pink. He just picks me up as I laugh. I never knew I could get this stoic no-nonsense man to blush. I wonder what other switches I can push to get his face red.

Before I can scheme, Sheik tightens his hold on me and begins sprinting towards the cliffs ahead. I manage to keep my eyes open as he leaps from wall to wall. It's so effortless, it looks so easy for him. How long did it take him to be able to do this? How can he keep this up for so long? What kind of training does it take for a Sheikah to be this fast and nimble?

I wonder what kind of life Sheik had before I met him and why he refuses to talk about his Tribe.

We reach the top at long last, coming to a flat chunk of stone across from the volcano's top. Sheik puts me down and lets out a sigh, grumbling about needing to practice more. 'What are you talkin' about? That was awesome! So much better when I know what to except,' I smile up at him.

"That was impressive," Midna admits, although she sounds reluctant.

We look around the peak. We're certainly as high as we can go. There are no other mountains in sight and Kakariko can only barely be seen. But now comes the next problem.

"How do we get to the sky? Did you expect a magic portal to be waiting for us?" Sheik asks.

"To be honest I was kind of hoping that would be the case," Navi giggles sheepishly, her aura turning slightly green. "But since that isn't the case, we need to find a different way. I don't like whoever that was in the village any more than you guys do, but they weren't lying. I would have been able to tell if they were lying. Link's been to the sky before."

'Yeah, but I got shot outta canon to get there,' I think, disliking that certain memory. 'Even if there was a canon here I'd take any other option. Even magic would be better. At least then I can close my eyes. Getting shot into the sky you tend to keep your eyes open out of sheer terror.'

"It also makes a battle-hardened, realised Hero scream so loud she makes her own ears ring," Midna giggles, patting the top of my head. I bat her hand away with my paw, growling lightly.

'You screamed, too!'

"I doubt that is what the person meant," I imagine Navi rolling her eyes at us. "If we're going to try and figure this out, we should sleep first. It's been two days since we slept and we won't make progress if we can't think."

'I think Sheik agrees,' I think, looking over when I notice he hasn't said anything for a few minutes. I laugh and wander over, plopping myself down in front of his face. He's already asleep. And here I thought I was the only one to fall asleep so quickly. I curl up on the spot with a yawn, Navi lying in my mane and Midna returning to Sheik's shadow.

We'll discover a way to the sky in the morning. I'm sure of it.

-0-0-0-0-

This isn't like my other dreams. I can sense something wrong about this the moment I open my eyes. I never realise I'm dreaming and they're always blurred. But this is clear to me. I'm surrounded by tall trees and giant mushrooms, walking down a dirt path with small birds pecking at the ground for food. As I walk by the birds my shadow comes into view and I notice something off. It is human shaped, not wolf-pup shaped. I'd like to smile, happy I can at least be human in my dreams, but my muscles don't move to my whim. Instead my mouth is open agape in awe, my eyes wide as they stare at the trees and birds curiously.

Then I speak.

"I never knew trees could be so big or birds could be so small! This place is amazing."

I speak in a man's voice. Judging on sound alone he could be between eighteen and twenty. I laugh as if someone spoke back to me after my comment.

"Yeah, no one will believe this! To think this was a mythical land yesterday."

I keep walking down the path until I come across a statue. I smile as I walk up to it, brushing my hand against it. It is a solid stone base with a giant bird on the front and on top of it, the front being a side-ways drawing and the top being a sculpted carving. The bird has a duck-like beak, a swan-like neck with long wings piratically spread out and a tail curled up behind it.

"To think we're a myth to the people of the Surface..." I look up to the sky, which is clear save for a few clouds. "You can't even see home from here."

I pull out a white cloth. Spreading it out to look at it I'm shocked to see the base of the Hylian Insignia, the outline of a bird. But there is no Triforce above it's head and it is light blue instead of crimson red. I brush my hand across the bird, sighing sadly.

"We'll save you." The sun is setting on the forest. "We promise."

"Zelda."

-0-0-0-0-

I wake with a start, but without a heavy heartbeat. Lifting my head from my paws I replay the dream in my head. The more I remember the details, the longer my thoughts stay on the statue and cloth. The two are connected. Is that statue the path to the sky?

What kind of dream was that? How does that help me? We're not in a forest, we're on a mountain peak.

I paw at my ear to wake myself up. It's not morning yet. Everyone else is still asleep. Carefully I place Navi down and sit at the edge of the peak, looking up at the sky. Clear skies stretching on forever, stars out and the moon almost full. Strangely I feel a longing pull me towards them. Is it the result of that strange dream?

'Who was that?'

It wasn't Time. I know he never came across a statue like that. Could it have been a Link before him? Is that even possible? I've always gotten small snippets of the lives before Time, but I've only ever experienced something like that when it was him. His memories helped me piece Ganondorf together before the Sages of the Mirror told me who was behind the invasion of Hyrule.

Is another trying to do the same?

Come to think of it, I've never been sure how many other Links there have been. Have there been hundreds? Or have there only been a few? Everyone in Hyrule knows that the past gets lost, moving to new lands must be the reason behind that.

"So you're up," Sheik sits down beside me. I didn't even hear him wake up. "What are you thinking about?"

'I had a weird dream. I was in a forest, I seemed to be talking to myself about the world around me. Like I was seeing it for the first time. I went up to a statue with a bird on it and pulled out a cloth. Then I woke up when I said Zelda's name. I'm trying to figure out what it means.'

"Did it have anything to do with our current situation?"

'I think it did. I think something in that dream was tellin' me how we can get to the sky. When I woke, I couldn't help but yearn to be up there,' I look at the unfamiliar constellations. 'Like it was a Call.'

Sheik scoffs lightly and I turn to him. "Calls don't exist. I don't know why so many people believe in it."

'I thought everyone had a Call.' I'll have to reread the topic of Calls. Maybe something I read was wrong. 'I experienced a Call to somewhere else my whole life in Ordon. I was never clear where it was leading me. In the end, I realised my Call was bringing me to Zelda and her to me. We were calling to one another to be by the other's side. Whenever I'm beside Zelda I never feel like I should be somewhere else. I know that is my place. I'm happy to stand by her side.'

"So right now you are feeling this fake Call telling you to be beside Zelda?" he asks sceptically. I'm about to answer yes when I pause. Oddly...I don't feel anything wrong. I've dealt with the Call for so long I am able to tune it out when I'm doing work or out saving Hyrule. All I need to do is think about it a little bit and I feel the tug to elsewhere. But this moment, and I realise with a start the entire time in Old Hyrule, I haven't felt that Call. I've felt content, relaxed.

I've felt at home.

Does my thousand-year-old spirit remember this destroyed Hyrule so fondly?

That doesn't feel right.

'No...I don't feel anything like that.'

He smirks. "Then the Call is in your head. It doesn't exist. I know where I belong."

'In the backstreets of Castle Town?'

"No. I belong with the Tribe." His voice is low, as if daring me to ask more.

'Are you lookin' for someone?'

He gives me an odd look. I shrug in response. 'I left Ordon because my friends were kidnapped, which lead into my adventure. Was a person you cared about taken from you? Are you looking for them?'

Sheik just looks at me quietly, a distant look in his eyes. "Yes. Someone I loved was taken from me."

'I hope you can find them, Sheik. I'm sure they're worried about you, too,' I look to the sky again, seeing the sun beginning to rise above the mountains. It's time to finally get to the sky. If we can find a way.

When the other two wake up I tell them about my dream. Midna lets out a soft hum and closes her eyes. I notice a small glow emitting from them. She bends down and feels the stone and I gasp when teal magic snakes out. The entire peak is quickly covered and I do my best to remain still. It fades away as Midna opens her eyes and she smiles at me. "A detecting spell? Why use such a large usage of magic when there's nothing magical here?"

"Because, Sheik, there is something here. It's underneath the stone," she stands, smirking down at him. I see Sheik straighten his back as if being challenged. "It's buried, we'll have to dig it out."

I look at my paws. Maybe as an adult wolf I could break the stone, but as a pup my claws aren't so tough. Midna giggles and I look up. "Not you, silly. Sheik, pick her up for a moment and stand there. I've got some magic to do," she cracks her knuckles.

'Midna, what are you plannin'?' I ask nervously, not fidgeting when Sheik picks me up.

"Something a little crazy and very efficient," she grins, already forming magic in her hands. Sheik keeps his distance as Midna places both hands on the center of the peak, sending her magic into the rock.

"Why do I feel like this isn't going to go well?" Navi asks, still groggy.

Probably because it isn't.

The peak begins to shake and I close my eyes.

I only reopen them when the shaking stops and I stare as there is now a sinkhole in front of us, revealing a very old and broken statue. I leap from Sheik's arms and walk over to the edge, inspecting the rectangular stone. This is the statue.

How in Hyrule did a statue go from the middle of a forest to the top of a mountain?

"And there we are!" Midna beams, only barely able to hide how short of breath she is. "Magic statue."

"What gave you an idea like that?" Sheik asks.

"I'm familiar with Link's dreams. They've helped us in the past. And she only gets dreams she can remember when they are about to come true. So a detect spell to find anything magical and a bit of Twili magic to reveal it." She begins to pant, unable to hide how tired she's become. "Now if you excuse me, you guys can figure out what to do from here. I'm going to rest."

"She's right," Navi flutters around the broken statue, her aura just a bit brighter. "This still holds a very strong magic despite being broken and old. This must be the key to the sky. You mentioned in your dream you had a cloth. What do you think it was for?"

I tilt my head as I think back on it. Strangely enough I find the memory of the dream slowly fading away. This wouldn't be strange if it had been a 'normal' dream. I close my eyes and focus on what I can remember. The way I held the cloth and what I said, it may be crazy but I think that the cloth could take us to the sky. But how are we supposed to find a cloth?

'I think if we had it it would be the last piece to get us to the sky.'

"We don't have time to look for it," Sheik says. I look back at him when I hear a swish. He pulls off his head scarf, flicking it out so it spreads out like a flag. Without it on his hair falls to the sides of his head, while the rest is still in that braid of his. It's strange to see both of his eyes so clearly. He flings the scarf over his shoulder and walks over, giving me an odd look. I look away when I notice I've been staring. "This could be good enough, couldn't it?"

"I hope so. We should give it a try. If we are going to finally get to the sky, I imagine it will be a very rough ride. We should make sure none of us get separated."

'I don't exactly have hands, Navi.'

"Just hold onto my shoulder," Sheik says and picks me up. I huff, swatting his ear.

'Ask first, Buckass!'

"I'll try to remember that, Little Enigma."

Navi and Midna don't even bother asking as Sheik steps up to the remains of the statue. As we step close a ray of golden light surrounds it. The light then surrounds us and I bite down on Sheik's shoulder. "What the Din's-" he begins to yell, before we are sent upwards by a gust of wind. The gust is so strong it catches hold of the scarf and pulls. Sheik barely has enough time to grab the other end. I can't close my eyes as we rise higher than I thought possible, though they quickly fill with tears from the wind so I can't see a thing.

We then come to a stop. I blink and look around, astounded when I see huge clouds below us and in the distance floating islands. Before I can marvel any further we begin to plummet. This tugs my teeth free of Sheik's shoulder, but he quickly grabs me by the tail, making me yelp but saving me. With his free hand he begins to swing his arms in circles below us. I can't see what he is doing.

Out of some instinct, I begin to try and whistle. This comes out as a strangled howl of fear. I am oddly saddened when nothing arrives to catch us.

I am starting to get scared by all these urges.

We suddenly land very harshly on ground. The fall is cushioned by whatever spell Sheik used, but it still leaves us winded and panting. I sit up, whining lightly as I get hit with a dizzy spell. I'm able to stay sitting up as Sheik gets to his knees, cursing as he holds his shoulder. 'S-sorry.' My bite was deeper than I meant it to be and coupled with the sudden drop it leaves a nasty injury behind.

"It looks worse than it is," he says, waving a hand over his shoulder. "But I can say you shouldn't be unable to fight."

"Wow. Guys, look at this place..." Navi says in awe. I walk over to stand beside her and we look out to a world of clouds and floating islands. The clouds are so thick and stretch on for so far I wonder how I could miss them from below, or how there is no rain in the wasteland of Hyrule. Islands float on for just as long, with one giant one on the horizon. I feel my heart soar at the sight of it, like I'm seeing home for the first time in a long time.

'We need to get to that island,' I think. 'It has what we're lookin' for. I can feel it.'

"Is this another 'Call' of yours?" Sheik rolls his eyes.

'No, this is pure gut instinct. My instincts are never wrong.'

"But how do we get there now?" Midna asks, not daring to come out. "It's too far for me to teleport to at the moment. We can't wait how ever long it will take for my magic to replenish."

"Do you know any teleportation magic, Sheik?"

"No. Sheikah get around on our own, we don't use teleportation so we never learn it."

Great, we're stuck on a floating island so close to where we need to go.

"I could fly Link over. Fairies can carry a Kokiri for a short time, it won't be hard. Thing is that would separate us."

"I can get us over once I've rested. You should go on ahead to see if you can find the Wind."

I notice Sheik does not look happy with that suggestion, but he doesn't object.

'If you're sure.'

"I doubt there's anything up here that could harm us," Sheik says, wrapping his scarf around his head. He looks better with it off. He sneaks a glance a Midna. These two better not kill each other.

The only plan agreed upon, Navi picks me up by the scruff and begins to fly us over to the large island. I tuck my legs into myself, nervous of the expanse of clouds beneath us and the ground below that. "I wonder what this place was. All of these islands are held up by a very strong magic spell. Could this be the place where that legend said humans came from the sky?"

'I think so. It all looks so different from the Ooccoo's home. There it was several islands as well, but they were held up with magic and propellers, they were all connected as well. But these...they're so far apart. How could anyone get around?'

"There had to be a way for them, or maybe they just lived on the island."

That doesn't feel quite right. Oh well, the mysteries will probably stay with how ancient this place is.

Navi sets me down on some broken, moss-covered stone. Near us is a tall tower, broken in half and spread across the stone. There are a lot of houses near us and I see more further away. They're all collapsed into ruins. There's also a huge building up a pathway overgrown with grass and weeds.

So the old Hyrule became desolate and this place flourishes in vegetation. What kind of place will my Hyrule become?

'Whoever's eyes I was seeing through, this is where he was from,' I think, beginning to walk around the quiet ruins of the houses. One home has the door unhinged and the walls still up. I walk inside and let my eyes adjust to the dim lighting to see everything covered in a thick layer of dust. It's so thick my paws only barely make prints. There are signs of furniture underneath the dust. It feels like this place was abandoned, but would someone leave their home this eagerly?

Apparently not, I find, as I bump into a pile of dust that rattles. I push some of the dust aside to see ancient bones resting on the floor. 'I guess not everyone left the sky.'

"It's hard leaving your home behind. Some people never have a desire to leave."

I wonder how well I knew this person. In this kind of world, everyone must know everyone. I step out of the house and continue up a moss covered path to a broken bridge over a river. The water flows off the island and into the clouds below. I leap onto what remains of the stone railing and get a better look at the houses. This place is actually much bigger on a second glance.

I'd dare say it's as big as Castle Town.

"Alright, so where to now? Any instincts helping you out?"

'Not at the moment. I guess we explore.'

I was right. This place is just about as big as Castle Town, maybe just a bit smaller. The longer we wander the more buildings we find. Many are homes, some are small barns with fields of overgrown pumpkins, there is even a library so old that the books have fallen to dust.

I can never tell Zelda of this.

I do look thoroughly through the library, curious if just one book survived the very long absence of humans. No such luck. Even if there was, would I even be able to read it? How old is this island?

We eventually find a large tent ripped to ribbons but still standing, even if slightly at an angle. Stepping inside this seems to be where the shops were. There is a large cauldron behind one counter, tipped on its side with a molded goop flowing out of it, a rusted metal workbench behind one counter in the back and an area made for eating, I think. It's strange. I would think if people had the choice to go below they would take what they cared about from the sky. Were they that eager to leave that they left some things behind or were they attacked?

Leaving the market we find another house, but it looks different. It's completely made of wood, unlike the other houses that also had stone build for support, and looks like it used to be vibrantly coloured. On top is a huge propeller and on the side is a small balcony. I wander inside and see some kind of shop, based on the counter and broken shelves behind it. It's just as empty as everything else here. We move past it and enter a pair of broken metal gates leading towards the largest building on the island. On the top is a tower, with a large rusted bell fallen on the floor underneath it. Beside the main building is a smaller building, which we enter first.

Broken slabs of wood are inside, but they aren't broken from age alone. There is a clean slice through them done by a sword. A very good, sharp sword by the looks of it. I wonder who the last person to use this was.

This place has nothing to look at so we leave, when I pause. Tucked in the corner between the main building and the wall surrounding it is a rounded grave-like statue. It's shaped exactly like the howling stones, with the Sheikah eye symbol and everything. I walk up to it and it begins to glow around the edges of the paint, making noises similar to speech.

I'm unable to understand.

"This is a Sheikah Gossip Stone. No one knows why they were built, but they held secrets for the areas they resided in. If we could understand this we might learn what happened to this place."

'It's too old. I don't have any idea what it's saying,' I think, kicking the ground in frustration. How far back does my memory of the ever-evolving Hylian language go?

"Built to Gossip."

We stare at the Gossip Stone as it repeats words from what Navi said. In New Hylian. It can learn.

"Held secrets in area."

"In there?"

"In there."

Know we now we need to look thoroughly through the building.

"Thank you."

The Stone remains silent, unable to repeat any words in our language.

As we enter the building a thought crosses my mind. 'Navi, if you and the Kokiri have lived so far away from us, how do you know the language we speak? My friends could understand them, too. Why is that?'

"The Great Deku Tree's roots spread out on forever, Link. As he grows so do his roots. That is how he gets the knowledge of your Hyrule. There's nothing else in my old Hyrule that he can learn from, so he spent all his magic reaching your Hyrule. He passed the knowledge onto us. We still remember the old language, obviously, but now we know the new one as well. This is what the old Deku Tree did to learn about what was happening outside of the forest."

Amazing. He isn't a Deity for nothing.

We enter the building and walk down a hallway with many doors on either side. One room turns out to be a bathroom, one is an office with bookshelves lining the walls (and of course the books are all destroyed) and one is a room so overgrown with flowers it's hard to even open the door.

Then we come across a room with no door at all. Walking in it's covered in dust just like everywhere else, but somehow it feels cleaner.

There is a mirror above a desk and I spot something on top. I jump onto it, shocked to find a perfectly preserved book lying on the top, as if it were written a week ago. I flip it open and tilt my head, almost disappointed I'm not able to read the writing.

I don't know why I thought I would be able to.

I pick it up in my mouth and jump down. 'Navi, can you read this?'

She gives it a quick look, but sighs. "No. This is older than me."

'Well Zelda won't be sleeping for weeks,' I roll my eyes fondly at the thought of my friend. I'm going to have to resort to my book-ripping tactic if I'm ever going to get her away from this one. I look around the room a bit more but don't discover anything else worth looking into. We leave and come to some stairs leading to the first floor. Right at the base of the stairs is a room that catches my eye.

It has no doorknob and there is a faded label, but I feel the need to go in. I place the unreadable book down and push the door open with my head enough to get inside. Navi just flies through the missing doorknob. This room is like the others, covered in dust with a bed, desk and a wardrobe hidden underneath. There is a small window left open, letting us see the dust particles dance in the dimming light.

I jump onto the desk and freeze solid. Sitting on top, not a speck of dust on it, is the cloth I saw in my dream. It is exactly as it looked in my dream, white with a the blue Hylian symbol. I paw at it, it even feels like it did in my dream.

I don't know why, but I decide to curl up on the cloth. Navi flies down and sits on it as well, resting against my paw. "Are you tired?"

'Yeah. Not sure why, we didn't do too much today.'

"Yes, but we discovered so much. It was also exhilarating getting up here."

'I guess.' Something is wrong. I don't feel tired, but I still want to sleep. I love sleep as much as the next person, but I have a task to do right now. As much as I don't want to, I need to get up. The book. I need the book, I know it. 'Lemme just grab the book.'

I get off the desk and go back out the door, bending my head down to grab the book when the hairs on my neck rise. I look up, book in mouth, to see a shady figure standing at the end of the hall. My ears and tail drop as I face them, putting down the book to growl. There is a little wind blowing through the open door at the end, making their cape lift up.

My heart pounds on my chest heavily. 'Navi, get out here! It's the guy from Kakariko!'

She's quick to be by my side, carrying the cloth with her. She drapes it over my back and hovers above my head, her aura glowing yellow around the edges in a warning. "Who are you? Why do you keep following us?"

"Am I not allowed to greet an old friend?" In a smooth and accented voice he speaks, but it does not comfort me. I growl lower, showing him all my teeth. I know the display is not so intimidating coming from a puppy, but the threat behind it is real.

I see him grin as he begins to step down the hallway. This sends me running with the book between my teeth. I run into the room I was just in and get just enough speed to jump through the window. I land outside and run along the side of the building, glancing to the left for a moment to see a broken bridge leading to nowhere. As if a piece of the island had fallen.

I barely hold onto the book when a jolt of magic lands in front of my paws. I begin to panic and run full speed through the ruins, running into buildings to hide but running out when he finds me. I never see him clearly, he's always in the areas that aren't completely shaded or sunny. Even with my enhanced sight those areas between light and dark are still impossible to adjust to.

He knows of my Twilight Sense. He has to know to stay so well hidden from me.

I find myself cornered on what remains of a wooden platform. On a floating island there is only so far I can run. I turn my back to the open sky and pant, glaring at the approaching threat. The shadow of the setting sun behind me makes the man even harder to see clearly.

"I never expected this would be what happened to you," the man says, finally just standing still and not coming closer. But now that he has me cornered that may not be so good as I think it is. "This wasn't the plan. However, it worked in my favour. You were destined to return to this miserable island eventually. I don't think it is quite fair that you had help getting here."

"Who. Are. You?" Navi demands, glowing bright yellow.

"Now what would the fun be in telling you that?" he steps closer. I can't move or I'll fall.

A sudden explosion at his feet covers the area in smoke. I feel hands grab me and haul me upwards. It stops suddenly and I'm put down onto some stone. We're above the smoke now. I look up to see Sheik holding onto the remains of a pole on the tower we first saw. He glances at me. "Looks like we showed up just in time. Who's your new friend?"

"We don't know. He showed up in that building and chased us here."

I feel the book tug out of my mouth and for a moment I fear I've dropped it, but Midna's just taken it and is looking at it. "Well this is...interesting. I'll keep it safe for you," she winks, snapping her fingers.

There is a huge tornado suddenly and the dust clears. The man looks straight up, finding us impossibly fast. He vanishes in a show of gold, black and grey diamonds before I hear a noise behind me. Before I can react Sheik slams his Chain-Whip at the attacker. I turn for my eyes to go wide.

"Hello there, Link," the grey man smirked. I backed up, clenching my fist. I was human again. "It won't be long. You'll fall for my trap, just like you always have. Then you'll know what true fear is."

"You'll know what a demon can do."

My dream. The one I forgot the other day. Seeing this man, this demon, makes me remember.

He holds Sheik's weapon between two fingers, smirking smugly. He has light grey skin, wears a white shirt and pants cut with diamonds, has short white hair with bangs that fall in front of the left side of his face, which I can see is a shiny black instead of grey, and the one eye he shows is a deep onyx black. On his shoulders is a red cape, blowing in the wind.

I know him.

Oh Goddesses, he knows me.

This isn't like knowing Ganondorf. I knew him and he knew me purely through our past lives. Our hatred for one another was forged over millions of years. But the demon, he knows me and I know him. Not his reincarnation, him.

Just like I knew Vaati and Shadow.

Somehow this feels a lot more wrong than those two. They were sealed away and freed by the Goddesses with the chance of redemption.

I have a feeling this demon didn't have that.

"Tut-tut, not keeping up with your training?" The demon asks, examining the end of the Chain-Whip. Sheik tugs it back, the demon lazily lets it go. "You'd put your ancestors to shame, Sheikah."

Sheik clenches his fist so tightly I see blood draw from his palm.

"Although I suppose you've already done that," the demon grins, looking Sheik directly in the eye. Sheik is frozen. To bring him out of the daze, I bite down on his calf. This shakes him out of it and he gives me a look between wanting to kick me off the tower and thanking me.

He'll probably do both at the same time.

The demon charges a spell in his hand. Sheik grabs me and jumps from the tower as the spot we were in explodes, sending the rest of the tower down into the clouds below. Sheik lands on the last good portion of a ruined house and keeps a hold of me, tying his Chain-Whip to his belt and bringing out his throwing knives instead. As the demon vanishes he readies himself. My ears twitch.

'To your right, above you!'

He flings the blade and it strikes the demon in the shoulder. His smug grin is replaced with a nasty snarl as he lands on the roof with us. I growl back. Sheik throws two knives that the demon dodges by vanishing. I listen.

'He's below us, in the house! He's going to blow it up!'

Sheik flips away just in time, landing on the bridge already looking around for the demon. "Who is this man?"

"On with this again?"

Sheik throws a knife at the direction of the voice, then we are pushed forward as the demon appears behind him and stabs him with his own knife. Sheik regains balance and swings his elbow back, missing as diamonds fade behind him.

"You don't remember everything, do you, Link?" I growl at him as he appears on a house above us. His grin irks me to no end. "I am hurt. After all we had done together. Pursuing the Spirit Maiden, obeying our orders, fighting each other to the death. Of course you don't remember the finer details," his grin grows more wild and he vanishes. "Well perhaps I will be kind enough to remind you. But nothing is without a price. I will give you this," he appears before us on the bridge, holding a small green tornado in his hand, "and my name. In exchange, you will give me that book and sailcloth. Two for two, eye for an eye. No funny business."

This is all a funny business.

'Tell 'im no deal. There's somethin' valuable in the book and the sailcloth feels important. We need the Wind, but he won't just give it to us. There'll be a catch.'

He chuckles as Sheik prepares more knives and Midna appears, teal-coloured flames surrounding her fists. The demon makes the Wind vanish and brushes his hands together.

"I see we can't come to an agreement, but fighting two against one? Very unfair."

Oh he did not just count me and Navi out of this.

"Nobel warriors should fight fair, with even numbers. Isn't that right?"

Sheik and I are struck heavily with an object. The force is enough to send us into the wall of a house, leaving me dazed and Sheik groaning. I look up to see a creature now standing beside the demon. The creature is humanoid, with horns coming from its bald head and spikes coming from its shoulders. It is deep grey and grins with razor sharp teeth. From the body shape and curves, the creature is female.

"Take the Hero. Kill the rest."

The creature screeches and runs forward. I yelp and push Sheik's head. 'It's no time for a nap!'

His eyes snap open and he swings his Chain-Whip. It wraps around the creature's torso and Sheik uses her own momentum to send her head-first into the house opposite us as he jumps to his feet. The creature stands from the dust, completely unfazed. She lets out a shrill giggle.

"Shit," Sheik says under his breath. He jumps onto the roof with me in his arms to escape the next attempt. I glance over to Midna, who is fighting one-on-one with the demon. They look evenly matched.

Knowing how powerful Midna is, that doesn't comfort me at all.

The creature runs after Sheik and I, all we can do is run. The sun has set now, the island completely black. My eyes adjust quickly, but I see Sheik stumble. I also see him raise his hand to prepare a fire spell. I look back at the creature, it is still following us. 'Don't use your magic for that! I'll tell you where she is and you fire any spell you like at 'er.'

"Did you just give me permission to use magic?" he asks, real shock in his voice.

'This is kinda a last resort situation, Sheik! Turn around and stop movin', fire any spell in front of you but slightly to the right!' Sheik waves his hands over one another in preparation of a spell and a stream of crimson fire burns from his fingertips. The flames lick the creature, which jumps away with a shriek and hisses from afar. The fire she got struck with illuminates her enough for Sheik. He pulls back his arms, stopping the flames, and pulls out five throwing knives. Sheik waves his hand over the blades and I stare in almost awe as they glow white-hot. They're on the verge of melting before Sheik throws them all. Three of them strike the creature, embedding in her torso. She shrieks loudly into the night, charging at us.

I leap off Sheik's shoulder and latch onto hers, fitting between her shoulder spikes. I bite down hard on the back of her neck. She grabs me by the tail and holds me in front of her face. Her eyes are filled with rage and I let out a howl as my tail snaps like a twig between her fingers. My howl of pain makes her grin before something latches onto me, pulling me free of her hold.

Shocked, I look up to see the phoenix holding me. The bird of fire glances at me and gives a small warble before flying in a U to turn back around. I'm surprised to find I don't feel any pain from its fire. I notice it begins to fly faster and it screeches, placing me down on the ground and slashing the creature's chest in the same movement. I'm left dazed on the ground, looking up with awe at the beautiful bird.

The phoenix lands on Sheik's shoulder, who looks at it in surprise. I walk up to his side and jump onto his free shoulder, looking at the phoenix's eyes. I let out a soft gasp and my tail wags, ignoring the pain. I recognize that intelligent gaze, the keen eyes.

But Familiars can wait for just a moment. The creature, wounded deeply, flees back to the demon who has Midna pinned against the ground with black and red glowing daggers. I growl and leap from his shoulder, sprinting over. The demon looks at the creature. He nods and snaps his fingers, both vanish.

"Normally I would not give up so easily. But I have other matters to attend to. Oh, and I'll be taking the Wind of Farore with m-"

'There! Oh...Heh, good throw Sheik.'

While he is talking, Sheik follows the gaze of the phoenix, who iss looking keenly at something. The blade he throws, glowing white-hot, cuts the demon off as he appears. The demon is holding the Wind in his hand. Midna, recovering, teleports behind him and snatches the Wind of Farore in the same moment.

Thus, I'm left useless as my cry of warning comes too late. The demon is gone with his pet and now we have the first of three magical artifacts that should be able to cure me.

My brain seems a little slow right now.

Seems like this demon has an arrogance even Alex couldn't dream of achieving.

You nasty little blights on the world, the voice hisses in our heads. Tricks won't get you very far.

"I am the Demon Lord Ghirahim," the same voice hisses in my head. "And you will not preventmy plans, Child of the Twilight."

The last memory of my dream echoes in my mind before I fall unconscious.

-0-0-0-0-

"Was that really the best plan, Debby?"

"Oh quit with that infuriating nickname. The one who gave it to me is dead."

"Yes, but I was still around then. I saw it all. You avoided my question, Debby."

"Our plan has been altered. I never intended for this to happen to the Hero. He's useless like this so we need him as he was. Even if it means he will be harder to capture."

"This is why you never mess with strong magic spells."

"So says you."

"Hee-hee, I suppose that's true."

Gery: So a lot of changes here, more than any other chapter so far. No longer at the Palace of Winds, since in the Original I hadn't planned for a certain other place to show up until near the end. So the placement of the Palace would be weird in this one. So Skyloft instead! And we get to meet our fabulous villain. And there will be a story-wise reason why his nickname is Debby Diamonds, but that sadly won't be explored for some time. Not until I can finally finish Bonded Triforce, or at least get to an explanation in it. So...sorry you'll have to wait XD Well I hope you enjoyed this super-late chapter. See ya!