Chapter 10: Dreams, Travels and Cooperation

"Ionin… But you… You can't be alive! I've been told you were murdered!"

"Do I look dead to you Darian? Honestly I feel like you WANT me dead."

"No… Ionin, I never would want you gone. Please don't say something like that."

"Darian, join me. Together we can take over all the realms and rule peacefully as we should."

"Ionin what has gotten into you? You were never like this!" Darian exclaimed. He was shocked Ionin would ever, could ever, talk like this.

"I take it you will not join me?"

"Ionin… Not if you want to take over like this! What happened to you…?"

"If you will not join me, you AND your friends will die!" Ionin raised a hand and Darian flew backwards into the wall. Ionin snapped his fingers, and black magic shackled Darian's wrists and ankles, preventing him from moving. "Now then…" Ionin snapped his fingers again, and four figures materialized out of thin air. All were bound similarly and thus could not move. He raised his sword. "Who should I kill first?"

"Leave them alone!" Darian yelled. "They have done nothing to you!"

"Oh yes they have! They corrupted your mind and led you to believe false things!" He lashed out with the sword, impaling Midna in the chest. Link let out an agonizing scream while Darian struggled to release his bindings, but to no avail. Ionin approached Link next.

"So, I take it the Hero would like to go next? Very well! Join the Twilight Princess in death!" Before Link passed on, he had a few words.

"Go… Go to hell… Bastard…" With that, he moved no more.

"LINK!" Zelda screamed.

"Ionin, STOP! What the hell are you doing?" Darian shouted. He couldn't believe it. Ionin was killing everyone he held close to him. Why would Ionin do this…?

"Purifying the world from all evil! Darian don't you see? They are all evil, and we must defeat all evil! That's what my Master told me, and I will follow him without question! I'll stop now if you join me."

"That's not it at all! You've allowed this 'Master' to corrupt your mind! You're becoming the very thing you swore to destroy! Ionin please stop!"

"NO! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR INSOLENCE!" Ionin roared before stabbing Zelda.

"Darian… I… I lo-… Love you… Don't… Lose yourself…" Zelda was as still as Link and Midna.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Ionin merely laughed as he approached the last victim. He looked up.

"So you really have gone down the path of Darkness. You have become so corrupted that you would kill your own family. Who are you…" Drimani whispered.

"I am what I always was. Join me now, both of you, and I will spare your lives."

"Go to hell. I would rather die." Drimani spat. Ionin sneered as he raised his sword.

"Very well then. If Death is what you want, then Death is what you get!" He ran Drimani through with the sword. Darian felt as if his heart was ripped out and torn to shreds. He wanted nothing more now than to kill Ionin for taking away what was close to him. Drimani… Zelda… Link… Midna… Rage took him by force.

"IONIN! YOU SHALL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!" He broke through the bindings easily and flew at Ionin, daggers poised to pierce his black heart. Ionin was ready and launched a spell that hit Darian point-blank. As he fell back to the ground, one thought escaped his lips. "Ionin… Why…? My family… I…"

Suddenly Darian woke up panting and sweating. He looked around in alarm for a minute and realized he was back in Hyrule Castle. It was still dark outside, which meant he must have woken up in the middle of the night. Just a bad dream… Thank the Goddesses… He remembered how he felt when his brother, his love, and his two best friends were killed and burst into tears. He now realized they meant the world to him and he could not bear to lose any of them. Suddenly his Triforce glowed.

"Darian, is everything okay?" Zelda's gentle voice came through the connection. Darian could not answer and simply let the tears fall. He did not even know why he was crying like this. Nothing had happened to any of them, they were all still safe. Drimani was in his room, Zelda just spoke to him, and Link and Midna were in Ordon. So why was he crying? He should be happy they are all alive and well! Damn it Darian, get it together! There came a knock on the door, and he bolted up. He pretended to look out the window when it opened.

"Darian…" Zelda spoke quietly. She strolled to where he stood and laid a hand on his shoulder. Darian clenched his fists. "Darian, talk to me. What happened?"

"Nothing… I… I'm fine. Really. Just a bad dream." he responded quickly.

"Darian I know you well enough." Zelda said gently but firmly. She turned him around. "Tell me. What is bothering you? Was it the dream?"

He knew Zelda would not stop until he told her. Secretly that was one of the things he loved about her. She cared about others to the point where she would go out of her way to help, even if it hurt. Darian recalled the part of the dream where she was stabbed and looked away.

"I guess you could say that…" he trailed off.

"Tell me about it. Please. I'm here for you, just like I know you would-"

"Zelda that's just it! You being there for me!"

Zelda looked as if she was just slapped in the face. Darian would never act this way. "Darian what on earth has gotten into you? It sounds like you do not want me here. As if you do not care for me…" she too had tears in her eyes. Darian looked at her and was filled with guilt. How could I ever say something like that? Oh no, not tears… Zelda… Overcome with tears, he fell to his knees.

"Zelda I'm sorry! I just… AAAHHH!" His body started shaking, and he let the tears fall again. Zelda immediately went down on her knees and put an arm around him.

"Darian, stop. Please. Shhhh. I'm here, and I will not leave." She held him close to her and let him cry, knowing he could not tell her what was bothering him until he calmed down.

After a time, Darian finally looked up. "Zelda, I'm sorry for all this… I should not have said what I said before. I… I do like it when you're there for me. Just like I would always be for you. I just… Don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose me." Zelda realized now she could not be without him. There was something about him that was keeping her attached to him, although she could not put her finger on it.

"That's not what I meant…" Darian explained the dream, every last detail, and Zelda finally understood: he was afraid of being alone and betrayed. He continued. "Zelda I think of the four of you as my family. You are the only one for me, Drimani is my brother, and Link and Midna are my best friends. You are the only ones I have left. I can't lose any of you. I would rather die than let any harm befall any of you. Especially you." Before he could say any more, Zelda pulled him into a kiss and poured all of her emotions into it, hoping he would understand what she felt. Darian put his arms around her and returned the gesture, not having any regrets.

Zelda slowly broke off and looked at Darian. "Now do you understand? No matter what happens, I will always be with you. Always." Darian nodded his head, and they both clambered onto his bed and he pulled the covers over them.

"Zelda… Thank you." She smiled back at him.

"I love you," she murmured. They were both asleep soon enough.

Link woke up early in the morning; the Sun was only beginning to rise. He looked down and noticed Midna sleeping, her head on his chest and an arm around him. He smiled kindly and gently pushed her off of him. Deciding to let her sleep some more, Link rolled the blanket back over her and kissed her forehead before leaving the room to take a stroll outside. For reasons unknown to him, he wandered back to Ordon Springs and saw his faithful horse Epona waiting for him. He took out the Shadow Crystal and transformed into the great wolf.

"Hey girl. How have you been doing these days?"

"I have been doing rather well Master. I noticed you are the earliest up of the three?"

"It surely seems that way. I let Midna sleep some more, and even if she got up, we were going to wait patiently for Rusl so we could accompany him back. There is no reason to rush."

"You are quite right. It is only dawn after all." A rustle in the bushes jerked them out of their conversation. Link looked around in alarm, but only found Midna. He relaxed as she approached. "I'll be changing back now."

"Very well Master." Link reverted back to his human form and turned to the Twilight Princess. "I didn't know you would be up so soon. I got up gently so I could let you sleep!"

"It's fine Link. I woke up just now and noticed you were gone. So, naturally I thought you were here." She gave him a small smile. "Where is Rusl? We are supposed to take him back to the Castle."

"Yes that is true. But remember it is still dawn. Quite early. And I thought we would be patient. He is, after all, leaving his family for a very dangerous war."

"I suppose you're right. I-" she was cut off as Rusl appeared, riding his own horse and wielding the Ordon Sword (Link gave back the sword as he now had the Blade of Evil's Bane).

"Are we ready to go?" he asked.

"Rusl!" Link spoke up. "We thought you would be up much later. You have a family here, so we would understand if you wished to leave later." Rusl waved him off.

"We talked about it, and we felt it was for the best that I leave early. Well let's get a move on! We should get there by noon. I would like to meet the others in person and help General Drimani as best as possible."

"I think he will allow you to call him Drimani." Midna responded. "He does not seem like the kind to have people call them by title."

"Well, if he tells me to call him only by name, I shall do so," Rusl answered with a smile as Link straddled Epona, Midna behind him.

"Let's get going then. I doubt Zelda would want to be kept waiting." They took off, side by side, heading for Hyrule Castle.

It turns out they did not have any problems on the way to Castle Town, encountering only a few monsters that Link easily dispatched with his arrows. When they arrived at their destination, they found the guards once again blocking the door. They sneered at Link.

"Well it looks like the HERO is back. What do you want?" one of the guards said.

"Seriously guys. I am a little busy to deal with the likes of you. Let us in. We brought Captain Rusl." The guards looked Rusl up and down and burst into laughter. Link might just end up decapitating them one day for their constant insults.

"Him? Captain? That's a good one!" Rusl rolled his eyes slightly, Link clearly wanted a go at them now, while Midna was beside herself.

"Listen here punks! I don't care how tough you guys think you are! These two can take your heads off if they wanted to! Let us through THIS INSTANT or I'll attack you, considering they would be too nice to do so!" The guards fell over laughing.

"A woman attack us? Hahahaha!" A bolt of purple magic very narrowly missed one of the guards.

"The next one will not miss!" she growled menacingly. The guards looked at her in alarm and then hastily opened the door.

"Please! R- Right this way!" Once Link, Midna, and Rusl went through the door, they burst into laughter.

"Did you see their faces? Priceless!" Link said through his laughter.

"Wolfy don't make me do the same to you!" Midna warned half-jokingly.

"I haven't done anything! I was laughing at how scared they were!"

"You certainly made yourself known," Rusl cut in with a chuckle. They stopped as Drimani approached them.

"Ah. Link, Midna. I take it your journey went well?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes, very much so. We did not encounter many monsters," Link answered.

"That is good to hear," Drimani replied. He then addressed Rusl. "Hello. You must be Captain Rusl. I have heard great things about you. My name is Drimani."

"Well met, General Drimani," Rusl said. They shook hands warmly before Drimani responded.

"I would prefer that you call me Drimani. I may be General, but that would only be to the regular soldiers and those who give us problems, like those guards that would not let you in."

"Oh I took care of them, don't worry," Midna cut in. Drimani chuckled.

"Yes, I saw what you pulled. I must say if you were trying to miss, you did it perfectly. Not too far off, yet not too close. Very threatening, but great work making a point." He grew serious again, but his tone was still pleasant. "Rusl, please accompany me to the training grounds. Ashei and Medeus are already there, yet we need you in order to begin our meeting. Once we organize the troops into separate groups, we will lead them in many specific exercises. Five months is hardly enough time to get them ready, but it'll have to do. As we speak, Zant is strengthening his forces."

"Right away."

Drimani turned to Link and Midna. "You two need to get moving as well. Zelda and Darian are expecting you."

"On our way… General." Link emphasized the title and winked. Drimani chuckled and left, Rusl close behind. Link and Midna left for Zelda's study.

"Looks like Drimani is handling himself rather well today. I think he will do well." Link murmured.

"He certainly looks a lot more confident than before. I'm curious to see what he is truly made of." Midna added. Link knocked on the door. "It's open!" Zelda called, and Link led the way into the room.

"Ah, you made it safely. I take it Rusl has decided to join us?" Zelda asked.

"Yes, and wholeheartedly I must say," Link answered. He turned to Darian. "Hi Dari. Sleep well?"

"Ehh, I had a bad dream. Nothing to worry about." He smiled reassuringly. "So are we leaving or what?"

"Yes, if everyone is ready. We shall first travel to the Gorons." Zelda said.

"Then let us take you there," Midna offered. Within seconds they had disappeared from the study and reappeared on Death Mountain.

"It's so hot up here. How did you deal with the excessive heat?" Darian wondered.

"Midna used her magic to protect us. But this is nothing! When we went directly into the volcano, the heat was almost unbearable, even with her magic!" Link answered.

"Then let's avoid that. Please? I do not really like heat." Darian laughed. They finally approached the Goron Patriarch.

"Brother! It is good to see you again! How have you been?" he boomed, clapping Link on the shoulder enthusiastically. Link had to rub it to ease the pain; Gorons were known for their excessive strength and any high-fives and hugs could easily break bones in a normal human.

"I've been well, dear Brother! How is everything up here? Any trouble?"

"Not at all! We have all been doing great! Tell me, what can I do for you?"

"Truth be told, we need your help. I think Princess Zelda would explain the situation better than I could." Said Princess stepped forward.

"Indeed, a great Evil has fallen upon us again and we require your help." She outlined her plans and what they were up against, while the Goron Patriarch listened intently. After sitting in thought, he looked up and smiled.

"Very well! If men are what you require, you shall have them! I will send as many of our finest warriors as possible."

"You have no idea how grateful we are. You would be willing to help us even though my kingdom is far different from yours," Midna said quietly. "Thank you."

"We really appreciate the effort, even if you do not know us." Darian added, bowing his head in respect.

"Have no worries young ones. Any friend of our dear Brother here is a friend of ours!"

Once they stepped out of sight, Zelda had Midna warp them, this time to the Zoras' Domain. Darian gasped while Link laughed. "What? Never been in this kind of haven before?"

"I have only heard about it from…" Darian hesitated. "From… Certain people. It is beautiful here. Everything is so calm, like nothing would ever happen here." Zelda looked suspiciously at him but said nothing. She knew he was hiding something. They approached the throne room where Ralis sat. He looked up and smiled at the four travelers while they took a bow.

"Ah, rise my friends. Link it is so good to see you again. How have you been?" Ralis asked, pulling Link into a hug.

"I have been okay. Well, not exactly. We are in danger again."

"Explain." Zelda stepped forward and once again explained the situation. Ralis stood in thought, just as the Goron Patriarch did. When he answered, however, his words were not as positive.

"I shall give it some thought my friends. We have warriors, but I am afraid of losing more of my people. We were already massacred before…"

"Ralis, we understand if you cannot provide reinforcements. We just got out of a war, so we know what it feels like." Link said gently. Darian gasped. Ralis? I've heard that name once before, but… Who? He suddenly remembered a lost Zoran wandering through the Night Realm, and his father helped return him back to the Realm of Light. He widened his eyes in realization. That Zoran was… The father of the young King standing before him now. But where was the old Zoran? Ralis saw Darian staring and addressed him.

"Is something wrong, dear traveler?"

"It's just that… Ralis… No. Perhaps it would be easier to show you…" Darian unhooked his cloak and let it fall to the ground. He stretched his wings so the Zoras could clearly see. Ralis was shocked.

"Herion…?" he whispered. "But… You… What are you doing here?"

Link, Zelda, and Midna all looked at the young Guardian. What was going on, how did these two know each other? And why did Ralis just call him Herion?

"Ralis," Darian said quietly. "Herion… Was my father. I am his second son, Darian. I remember him helping a Zoran that suddenly appeared in our realm. Was that Zoran your father?"

"Yes… You speak of your father in the past tense."

"Herion was assassinated about a month ago," Darian responded sadly. "That's why I was hopeful to find your father here. He always said this place was beautiful and peaceful. I can see he did not lie." he finished with a small smile.

"I agree, it has been our home for a long time now." Ralis hesitated, and continued. "My parents are both dead. That is why I lead the tribe now. It is… Much pressure at times. Sometimes I find myself overwhelmed every so often." Darian was hit with sadness. He knew exactly what it felt like to lose family.

"I'm so sorry Ralis. I know exactly what that feels like. I lost my mother due to illness, my father was assassinated, and my older brother was killed by the madman we are now trying to fight. I should be the king of my realm, and yet I know I cannot be until we finish off our enemies. And even so, I do not think I will assume the throne in my home realm…" he trailed off, looking slightly at Zelda, who smiled in response.

Ralis sat in deep thought. "Because your father helped mine so long ago, I shall provide as many of my best warriors as I can. Please keep them safe."

"We shall," Darian bowed. "Be sure to keep some for yourself in case evil comes knocking at your door."

Ralis smiled. "I shall do so my friend. When should my men arrive?"

"As soon as possible," Zelda stated.

"Very well then. Link it was great to see you. Darian, I thank you again for visiting and telling me the truth. May our parents and your brother rest peacefully."

"Thank you Ralis. I am sure they will once we restore peace to our realms. Oh and one more question."

"Yes?"

"Would you mind if I took a dive off your waterfall? I have heard that it is rather fun!" Ralis laughed openly.

"Of course!" With that, the four travelers bade Ralis farewell and approached the cliff where the waterfall was located. Darian smiled mischievously.

"Hehe I have always wanted to try this! Link, have you?" He turned to his right and chuckled when he saw the aforementioned Hero in the Zora tunic, returning a laugh. "Looks like you have!"

"Darian, don't you dare," Zelda hissed.

"Link we are NOT here to play games!" Midna glowered. The men merely smirked as they took their positions roughly five meters from the cliff edge.

"So are we making a splash or are we being graceful?" Link asked playfully.

"Hmm," Darian sat in mock-thought. "I say graceful. We shall dive."

"Link…" "Darian…"

"Princesses you really need to relax more and have some fun!" Link exclaimed. He turned to Darian. "Ready?"

"When you are!" he responded. They both took off and jumped clean off the edge and tilted their bodies into dives. Link managed a couple of twists while Darian pinned his wings close to his body, simply enjoying the rush. "WHOOOOOO-HOOOOO!" They entered the water at the same time, making a very small splash. Underwater, Darian motioned slightly with his hands and a bubble appeared over his nose and mouth, allowing him to breathe. "Link let's stay down here for a bit." Noticing the Zoras looking at them both, he said "It's just a silly prank for the two ladies we left on the cliff." They laughed in response and let them stay down there.

"Darian we are going to give them heart attacks." Link chuckled.

"That's kind of the point. Scare them a bit, you know?"

After roughly three minutes, they began to hear panicked voices and silently laughed.

"Oh Goddesses! LINK! DARIAN!" Zelda cried. "Why did they have to be such idiots!"

"Please come up… I'm begging you both… Please…" Midna said quietly, tears in her eyes.

Link signaled, and he and Darian ascended to the surface, breaking out in fits of laughter. "Oh you should have seen their faces!" Link roared.

"Priceless! I think we are getting really good at this!" Darian added. Midna and Zelda could not believe it. These two not only scared them to death, but they had the nerve to laugh at their misery!

"OH NO! YOU DID NOT JUST DO THAT!" Zelda screamed through her tears. "WHAT WERE YOU BOTH THINKING?"

"WOLF-BOY! HOW DARE YOU SCARE ME LIKE THAT?" Midna screeched. Normal people would be scared of the two thundering Princesses, but Link and Darian were not normal people. They just continued laughing. "I AM GOING TO KILL-!"

Splash! Link had just sent water her way, soaking her clothes and her hair. Darian roared with laughter.

"What are you both waiting for? If you are going to kill us, you'll have to play on our turf!" he called before splashing Zelda. She was fuming.

"DARIAN YOU COME OUT THIS INSTANT!"

"MAKE ME!" he yelled back, blowing a raspberry before swimming away.

"Come on, my little imp! Let's play!" Link teased, splashing Midna with more water before he took off as well.

"PLAY?" the Twilight Princess screamed. "YOU SCARED ME SENSELESS AND ALL YOU WANT TO DO NOW IS PLAY?"

Link and Darian looked at each other and decided there was only one way to truly make them come play. They swam back over and waited for the two ladies. "Weeellll… I guess we COULD come up and out of the water…" Darian mocked. "But first…" Zelda and Midna edged closer as they heard him mumble something to Link. They continued whispering until the two were close enough to the edge. They realized too late that it was a trap. The boys caught their hands. "Make us get out!" Link finished as they pulled the two Princesses in the water and promptly swam away.

"DARIAN!" Zelda sputtered. "WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU-!"

"You'll do nothing because you love me too much," Darian cut her off before splashing her with more water. He openly laughed while she swam over to him and splashed him back angrily. They continued on with this little display before Zelda grabbed Darian and they started twisting and turning, trying to get the other underwater.

Link was watching this performance and was laughing so hard he thought his lungs might burst. Suddenly, he was dunked underwater by a raging Midna, who then mirthlessly laughed. Unlike Darian, Link decided to stay underwater and play shark. The Twilight Princess did not see him coming and he pulled her underwater by her ankle. She tried to kick out at him, but missed pitifully, as he quickly pulled her down to his level. Just before her lungs started protesting from lack of air, Link kissed her.

Midna thought she was dreaming. She heard stories of underwater kissing and how nice and peaceful it is. But she never thought it would be so wonderful. She would never forget sharing that moment with the man she loved dearly, just as he would always hold it close to his heart. Eventually they resurfaced, gentle and loving smiles on their faces. They turned to see Darian and Zelda still locked in a kind of wrestling match. They winked at each other before swimming towards them slowly and deliberately. They never saw it coming; Midna ripped Zelda off of Darian and threw her underwater while Darian was pulled under, again by the ankle.

Moments later they resurfaced to a laughing Link and Midna and decided to team up against the couple. They went on for a few hours, simply enjoying the time they had together, splashing and dunking. Finally when they deemed it was time, the clambered out of the water, and Zelda performed a spell that dried their clothes in less than two minutes.

"We should get back to the castle," Zelda said quietly, secretly wishing for more time in the water.

"Yeah, I guess we should start our training as well," Link added. When the others looked at him, he shrugged. "I mean we have five months. I was thinking about learning some magic myself to become stronger."

"I agree," Darian nodded. "I personally need to strengthen my attack spells and keep up with my defensive and healing capabilities. Not to mention I need to prevent my sword skills from becoming rusty." Zelda and Midna nodded in agreement and within a few minutes they were back in Hyrule Castle. Walking back to their rooms, they stopped. Link turned and looked at Darian.

"Best time of the day? When they thought we drowned."

Darian sniggered. "Yes yes, I agree. The poor damsels…" Zelda smacked his arm and looked at him with slightly watery eyes.

"Don't ever do that again. That really scared me." Darian kissed her gently.

"Zellie don't worry, we won't. Goodnight Link, Midna." With that, he and Zelda walked into Darian's room and shut the door.

"We should sleep too you know. Or…" Midna suddenly gave Link an evil grin. "I could punish you for scaring me the way you did, wolfy."

Link looked at her apologetically. "Midna I'm sorry. I promise not to do that again. Although it was rather fun…" he gave her a wolfish grin before kissing her. "But at some point Mid, we should prank Darian and Zelda."

"Ooohhh that will be fun," Midna said mischievously, her eyes glinting brightly. But then she yawned and knew they needed sleep more than planning pranks. "Link, we really should sleep though." Link said no more and they changed, climbed into bed, and snuggled into one another again.

Hope you guys enjoyed this! It's time for my 'midterm grade'. How am I doing? Don't be shy, R&R!